Smile
by StrawHatCaptainLuffy-Sama
Summary: They only saw a monster that didn't exist. He hoped that one day, they would see past his story and see him for what he was. All he wants are some friends. Because he's never had a true friend before. (More hurt than comfort at first) [T cause I need to stop being depressing]
1. Chapter 1

Smile.

That's what he did every day, to hide his pain behind a mask.

He acted like he couldn't hear the insults, pretended he couldn't feel the hateful stares.

He just smiled away, thinking that it might someday be a real smile. Spotting his old friends, he ignored their glares and blocked all of the hate out.

Pulling out his barely-used phone, he started playing the first song on the usual song list. Ironically, it was the perfect song to match his mood.

He felt as if this single song summed up his whole life, filled with people judging him by his long-gone family. All they saw was the rumors that had spread like wild fire, passed on from friend to friend, family to family.

The rumor that he was the one that killed his own parents.

Keeping the fake smile on his face, he continued listening to the lyrics.

As he exited the school campus, he kept the smile in hopes that maybe the bullies would be nice and let him go home free today. But no luck.

Spotting Arlong and his cronies, he turned off his phone quickly. Knowing that he couldn't just walk away, he walked straight up to the bullies.

"Here for your beating, freak?" Arlong snarled. The said boy nodded, still keeping his grin in place. Arlong snorted, which was hard for him to do considering his flat, long nose.

Why did this kid never even try to run away? It was creepy how he seemed to enjoy the bullies hitting him.

Pulling back a fist, Arlong slammed it into the boy's stomach. His cronies caught on quickly, and soon left the victim battered up and bruised on the sidewalk. The boy stood up slowly, pretending he couldn't feel the pain.

Smiling again, he struggled to keep in the tears begging to come out.

Limping away, he realized that Arlong must have busted his head open or something. The familiar red fluid was slowly dripping down his forehead, threatening to get in his eyes.

Wiping away some of the blood with his hoodie sleeve, he reached his house. Living close to the school had advantages and disadvatages. Bullies could reach him easier and almost whenever, but he also never had to go far when he got injured.

Opening the worn-out door, he stepped inside.

"I'm home," he said softly to the empty house, knowing that he wouldn't get an answer. The only other ones here were the ghosts.

Walking into the bathroom, he set about fixing himself up. He knew he would hae to do it by himself. His mother couldn't. Neither could his father.

His parents were gone. Even if he was only a kid, even if he seemed dense, he knew from the moment the knife went into his mother's body that she was never coming back.

Shaking his head suddenly, he tried to get the images out of his mind. Smiling, he didn't notice that the sting in his eyes was gone.

Because the tears had long before started falling.


	2. Chapter 2

_He could see the way this man was controlling him. His father had told him of Devil Fruit powers before. Heck, the five-year-old had already eaten one and gained powers of his own. But nobody knew that. Yet._

 _But this man was different._

 _He had taken control of his shadow, and had forced the boy to grab the kitchen knife his mother had been cutting the carrots with._

 _"B-baby? What are you doing?" his mother quietly said, her trembling voice showing her fear. His father was trapped in the same position as his son, frozen and stiff, as the controller felt no need to let the man do whatever he pleased._

 _"M-Mommy! I can't control myself!" the small child cried, stepping closer to the woman before him._

 _"Moria! Stop!" the father shouted, knowing what the criminal was planning._

 _"Now why would I do that?" Moria's voice echoed throughout the room, a rough sound grating against their ears._

 _"Mommy! You have to run!" the child sobbed, stepping ever closer to his mother. His older brother, frozen with fear, looked at the toddler with wide eyes._

 _"Baby, you know I can't leave you here," the woman answered. Her voice had turned gentle, like when her son had a nightmare and she came to soothe his troubled mind._

 _"Moria!"_

 _"Mommy!"_

Waking up suddenly, he stared at the wall for a good two minutes. Once his mind had processed that, yes, he had another nightmare, he sighed and sat up. A hammock just really wasn't that comfortable, especially when you don't have anything else to use as comfort.

Walking blearily into the small kitchen, he decided to go ahead and eat his breakfast. It wasn't like he could wait or anything.

Inhaling the small meal, consisting of a few pieces of bacon that he had luckily had the chance to buy and a few pancakes, he sighed in satisfaction. It had been such a long time since he had any kind of meat, let alone bacon. Standing up, he glanced at the time.

He still had four hours until school started.

Well, whatever. He could go and visit the graves.

It's not like he wanted to, but he felt it was just the right thing to do.

Stepping into the frozen, two-o'-clock-in-the-morning air, he took a deep breath to remind himself that, yes, he was still alive.

Still breathing.

Putting on another smile that made his face stretch impossibly wide, he started the half-hour walk to the cemetary.

The cemetary was nothing special. Just your average creepy graveyard that looked like zombies would pop out any second.

Oh, and don't forget the creepy fog that never left the cemetary.

And all of the gravestones.

And the occasional black cat that seemed to have taken a liking to the only visitor.

Yup, it was just a normal graveyard.

Except, the only graves there were all criminal or victim's graves.

This cemetary was called Thriller Park, which was ironic because it was the farthest thing from any kind of park.

The other thing was, it also housed the graves of the innocent men and women killed before their time by well-known murderers.

Or where people who had birthed criminals of their own went to rest in peace.

The boy walked through the rows of stones, knowing every name by heart.

 _Cindry_

 _Lola_

 _Monkey D. Dragon_

Stopping in his grave-naming-game, the boy sat down in front of the grave marked _Monkey D. Dragon_. Matching stones stood on either side of the grave, each having a D. somewhere in their names.

 _Monkey D. Lilica_

 _Portgas D. Ace_

His family's graves.

The ones he had killed by his own hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Staring at the graves for a good twenty minutes, he was silent long enough for the gravekeeper to get worried about him.

"Hey, kid! Are you okay?" he called to the unmoving boy. The teen nodded his head slightly in answer, his straw hat he hever took off lightly bobbing on his messy raven hair.

"Ah... okay. Just make sure you leave soon, it might rain." As if words had called it, a fat raindrop spattered into the boy's hat. "Ah! It's here! You should get home, kid!" the gravekeeper shouted, using his shirt to shield his head as he ran off. The said teen didn't respond. Instead, he sat there a few minutes longer, letting the rain soak into his clothes. Looking up, letting the drops hit his face, he let his face morph into an expression of sadness. He tilted his hat back, giving the rain more access to his forehead and closed eyes.

XXX

 _"Mommy! Look!" he shouted happily, carefully balancing on the fallen tree._

 _"Very nice! Don't fall!" the woman warned gently._

 _"I won't! Because I'm brave and strong! Strong people don't get hurt!" the child said confidently. "And if they do, they don't let others worry themselves over them. They take it all by themselves." His mother blinked at those wise words. How did a_ five year old _seem like a ninety-year-old man?_

 _"Sweetie, where did you hear that?" she asked cautiously._

 _"I just thought about it," came the childish answer, the owner of the voice wobbling slightly on his perch._

 _"It's time to go home now. Get your shoes on," his mother suddenly said, staring at her son with an unreadable expression._

 _"Okay!"_

 _XXX_

He almost laughed at this. When he was still little, he wondered why his mother had seemed so worried about him.

But now he knew why.

Because he acted like a mental kid, saying such weird stuff at a young age.

He could really be mental, for all he knew.

Not that he would go and ask a doctor about it. They hated him anyways.

No reason to make them believe in the rumors more, that the mental kid killed his parents.

Blinking the tears and rain alike out of his eyes, that had opened at some point, he stiffly stood up. He never minded the rain.

In fact, he liked the rain better than sun.

When the rain hit his hat, it made a nice little _pitter patter_ sound, making him feel calm and serene.

"Might as well go home," he murmured, his voice slightly hoarse from not speaking for a while. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he fingered his water-proof phone and headphones. Should he listen to his music now? He didn't really need it right now, though.

He wasn't having an attack right now, so he had no reason to listen to it except to enjoy it's melodic sound.

Deciding that he shouldn't waste the battery, he headed off to his house to prepare for school.

Until, as if on cue, a familiar tightening in his chest made his eyes widen.

It was happening again.

His scar throbbed to the quick rhythm of his heart.

Snatching out his phone, he roughly shoved the earbuds in his ears and quickly played the first song.

It was _Iris_ , by _Sleeping With Sirens_.

Good.

He needed a calm song right now.

Struggling to breathe properly, he focused on the lyrics to help him calm down. Slowly taking a deep breath, he listened to the words carefully, hoping to memorize them so he could sing along next time.

 _'When everything's meant to be broken,_

 _I just want you to know who I am._

 _And I don't want the world to see me,_

 _'cause I don't think they'd understand, yeah._

 _When everything's meant to be broken,_

 _I just want you to know who I am.'_

Breathing steadily and deeply, he continued walking slowly back to his house. At least he caught it before it got bad.

He didn't know how or why it happened.

All he knew was that music is what calmed him down. Musical therapy, is what he called it. He knew that music could end up as a big part of his life.

And that his panic attacks wouldn't stop until he had smiled a real smile, for the first time in ten years.


	4. Chapter 4

Stepping into the noisy classroom, he knew once he was spotted, the room would go silent. As he predicted, the second that one of his classmates noticed him, they poked their friends and pointed to him.

He could feel all the stares as he sat down in his usual seat in the back, where he was practically impossible to notice unless you were looking at him before. The gazes turned away, to his relief, and the room soon became loud again. He sighed as he looked around the classroom.

His old friends were sitting together and laughing, just like they had when he was there. He snorted to himself when he saw one glance over at him in fear. He put his head down on the desk, cushioning his head in his arms. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it used to be like when he was with his friends, but the memories were fleeting. He could barely remember their names, and he _never_ forgot _anything_.

Sighing lightly, he could hear footsteps approaching him. Glancing up, he saw a few boys his age, and two girls sitting in the empty seats around him. Oh, well. They would move eventually, when they found out who he was.

"Attention, class! Today we have... eight? Eight new students! Go ahead and say hi and introduce yourselves!" the teacher bubbled, looking at the kids around the black-haired boy in the back and completely ignoring him.

"Roronoa Zoro," the green-haired, silvery-green-eyed boy grunted, leaning back in his seat. The raven could tell he wasn't much of a talker, but he wasn't all bad.

"Nami," the orange-haired girl with light brown eyes said happily. The boy decided that he should be cautious around her, because he could see the greedy look in her eyes.

"Nico Robin," the black-haired girl with the piercing blue eyes said softly, just loud enough to be heard by everyone. Besides her cold-looking eyes, the boy could tell that she had a good heart.

"Usopp the Great!" the boy with the fluffy, long black hair grinned smugly. The other raven, sitting behind him, could tell he was just trying to act cool.

"Cutty Flam, but you call me Franky!" the one with the blue hair, sticking straight up, said. He rubbed his metal nose cockily, the class noting that he was a cyborg.

"Sanji," the blond boy said, standing next to Nami and Robin. He had pretty swirly eyebrows. One could get dizzy by just looking at them. The boy in the back could tell he was a pervet by the way he was eyeing the girls in the class.

"I'm Brook! Nice to see you! Ah! But I have no eyes to see you with! Yohoho~!" a bony one with afro-like hair laughed. Skeletons were uncommon, but they weren't rare. So they were accepted by most. He seemed alright, but he had pretty lame jokes.

"I'm Tony Tony Chopper," the small, blue-nosed reindeer said shyly, sitting at one of the special desks for short kids like him. The boy could tell that Chopper had a unique personality, and that he could make a good docter if he ever wanted to be one.

He put his head down tiredly, knowing that the kids would leave as soon as the teacher stopped her little 'introduction'. When the teacher got to him, she spat his name out as if it was poison. But to his mild surprise, they stayed seated right where they were. And even more astonishing, Nami smiled at him. He blinked incrediously at her. Did she not know the rumor yet? If she didn't, she would soon. As the teacher released them to talk for a while, he heard someone approaching.

"Hello there! I'm Nami. What's your name?" He heard Nami's bubbly voice from somewhere above him. He lifted his head to see all eight of the new kids staring at him behind their leader, Nami.

"Luffy," he muttered before putting his head back down.

"Nice to meet you, Luffy! Do you wanna talk with us?" Nami kept talking, oblivious to his little signs that he just wanted them to _go away_.

"No, thanks," he said flatly, not missing the small flash of hurt that crossed her face. The other seven kids went to go talk over in the back corner, forming a small circle of desks.

"Aw, why not?"

"Cause."

"Cause why?"

"Just cause."

"Why?"

"Because I've never talked with someone this long before." Nami blinked at his blunt answer.

"Well, then it's time to change that! You're talking with us, whether you want to or not!"

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

"... That's not a good reason..."

"Who cares? Just come on already!" Nami huffed, grabbing his hood and pulling him over to the group of newbies, who had seated themselves around a desk. And, to Luffy's horror, Arlong was in the middle, grinning like the shark he was.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, Nami-san! This is Arlong! He was just about to tell us about a story he heard!" Sanji said, doing his weird noodle dance that he did when Nami or Robin was around. Luffy knew enough to know that Sanji was really a pervert, like he had thought. Nami smiled at Arlong, who grinned back. He spotted Luffy hiding behind Nami, and his grin grew wider.

"Luffy! Glad you could make it over here! I was just about to tell them about you!" Arlong said with fake cheerfulness, only Luffy seeing the malicious gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, were you?" Usopp asked, sitting sown in front of Arlong with Zoro seating himself on the desk. Chopper saw Luffy and toddled over to him.

"Nami, lift me up!" he demanded, lifting his small arms up. Nami complied, and Chopper leaned over to whisper in her ear. Nami's smile grew wider, if not slightly mischevious. Luffy fidgeted with the hat on his head, casting nervous glances at Arlong. Suddenly, there was a weight on his head, making his hat tip and cover his eyes.

"Wha-" He cut off when he felt fur underneath his hand. Immediately, he knew what had happened. And the new kids seemed to find it the funniest thing they ever saw.

"N-nice, Nami, Chopper!" Zoro gasped out, struggling to breathe from laughing so hard.

"Indeed! That was super!" Franky laughed, holding his sides. Chopper himself was smiling, dangling his hooves in front of Luffy's face. Luffy stood silently until he was quiet long enough to worry the group. Except Arlong, who was smirking smugly.

"Luffy? You aren't mad, are you?" Chopper asked, leaning over the brim of the boy's hat to peer at his face. To his surprise Luffy was smiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luffy replied, realizing his smile was a little bit more genuine. He had forgotten that Arlong was watching him.

"Hey, you! Little, scrawny, and ugly!" came a rude shout from behind Luffy. Luffy's smile faded away, something the new kids noticed. Turning to glare at the offender, they were surprised to find Hachi, one of Arlong's friends.

"Hey! You listening to me?" Hachi put a hand on Luffy's shoulder and spun the smaller boy around, knocking the reindeer off of Luffy's hat.

"Leave him alone!" Sanji growled suddenly, kicking Hachi's hand away. Luffy stumbled back, away from the octopus man. Arlong noted all of this with a grin.

"Why are you so protective over him? Don't you know he killed his own parents?" Hachi asked. Luffy visibly stiffened, as his new 'friends' stared at the pink-skinned octopus.

"Do you think we give a shit?" Zoro finally broke the silence, causing Arlong's gaze to snap to him.

"Yeah, why would we care? I'm pretty sure that's just some dumb rumor!" Sanji agreed, stepping in front of the obsidian-haired boy. Hachi blinked dumbly.

"Why wouldn't you care? He's dangerous! He's a menace to the whole society! Why would you want to be his friend?" Kuroobi, another of Arlong's followers, piped up from his spot against the wall. Luffy clenched his fists, thinking that the friendly kids would leave him by himself again. But they surprised him when Chopper managed to get back on Luffy's head.

"He's not dangerous! Right, Luffy? Does someone with a reindeer on their head look dangerous?" Nami asked, putting a hand on the raven's shoulder. Luffy's eyes were hidden by his hat, but everyone could see him trembling.

"Luffy?" Usopp leaned down to look the seemingly younger boy in the eye. He was surprised by the swirl of emotion he saw in his friend's eyes.

"W-why do you guys even care about me?" Luffy whispered, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Because you're our friend! Why wouldn't we care about you?" Nami looked shocked that he even asked that.

"Yeah, Luffy-bro! You're our friend!" Franky repeated what Nami had said.

"I think you're cool!" Chopper chirped, leaning over to put his face right in front of Luffy's. "Most people get mad when I go on their head. But you don't mind. Do you?" Chopper asked. Luffy looked the reindeer in the eye, and Chopper was surprised by how happy he looked.

"Yup," Luffy said quietly, smiling slightly at the fact that he had made his first friends.


	6. Chapter 6

Luffy sat awkwardly inbetween Zoro and Nami, barely even picking at his food.

"H-how come you guys defended me? We only just met..." Luffy murmured. Nami glanced at everyone else, catching Luffy's attention.

"We saw how everyone looked at you. We... kind of felt bad..." Nami answered slowly, noticing how Luffy tensed at her answer. He _hated_ it when people pitied him before they even knew anything about him. He would rather have people hate him than pity him.

"So, in short, you pity me?" he spat.

"No, nothing like that! We just didn't want you to be alone!" Usopp said quickly, but Luffy stood up, his chair making a screech on the linoleum flooring. His face was covered by his hat, but from what they could see he was practically livid.

"Sorry, but I have to go," Luffy said through gritted teeth, already hurrying away. Nami got up and started to follow, but Sanji grabbed her arm. She turned to glare at him, but he only shook his head.

"He needs to be alone for a while," Sanji told her, watching the said boy storm out of the cafeteria. Nami looked doubtful, but she sank back into her chair.

"He's been alone most of his life. You probably should go after him," came an unfamiliar voice behind her. Nami whipped around to stare at the newcomer.

"Who the hell are you?" Sanji snarled. The boy looked about his age, but his hoodie shielded his face

"That's not important right now. You need to go after him, or he'll think you aren't really his friends. You don't want that to happen, do you?" the boy said, a flash of white showing that he was smiling.

* * *

Luffy stalked down the halls, looking for the familiar metal door. Spotting the door with the weathered sign that used to read _Roof_ , he pushed it open. It screeched loudly, but Luffy knew nobody heard it. Still, he couldn't help but wince when it screeched back into place. He climbed up the stairs, two at a time, and they creaked loudly under his weight.

"Everything just has to be obnoxious whenever I'm around, huh?" he said to himself as one of the steps let out a particularly loud groan. Once he got to the top, he pushed open the second door. He was met with a large gust of wind, practically slamming the door closed behind him. Luffy reveled in the wind, knowing his hat would stay in it's place, dangling by a string. As the wind blew across his face, he let a relaxed smile creep across his lips. He walked over to the edge, where a stone wall, up to his chest, was the only thing keeping him from falling off the roof.

He leaned against it, waiting for the wind to die down. He watched as the trees around the school shook their withering leaves, listened to the light melody of someone's wind chime. He knew he couldn't stay here very long, because lunch would be over soon, but it was one of those times when he needed to be alone. But he was never alone, because animals just couldn't stay away from him for some reason.

As he thought about it, a small bird, no bigger than his palm, came to rest on the ledge.

"Hello, there," Luffy greeted, smiling at the little red bird. It chirped loudly, a sound too big for it's tiny body. Luffy's smile grew as he held out a hand, inviting the bird to sit on his hand. The bird complied, hopping onto his pointer finger with another chirp. Luffy brought the bird close to his face, examining it. The bird's small, beady black eyes studied him as well.

"You seem to be having fun," came a low voice behind him. The red bird flew off in a panic at the deep, threatening voice. Luffy didn't turn around. He already knew who he would find.

"Arlong."


	7. Chapter 7

A soft chuckle was heard behind Luffy.

"How did you know?"

"You're the only one that knows I come up here. And the only one with a voice that deep," Luffy said animatedly, watching the birds on the ground fly away in a panic when a car passed by. Arlong laughed again; this time, it was dark and menacing. Luffy heard him coming closer, but just smiled slightly before turning around.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't come up here to chat, right?" he asked, leaning against the wall and looking as casual as can be. Arlong was just as shark-like as he remembered.

"You guessed right, freak," Arlong snorted. Luffy's smile grew.

"I love it when I'm right. So what is it this time?" he asked nonchalantly, taking his hat off and examining it for any damage. Arlong shrugged.

"I think it's about time you learned that I'm something to be afraid of," he answered darkly, his teeth gleaming in the sun as he grinned.

* * *

"Where is that goddamn guy when you need him?" Sanji huffed.

"Shut up and look for him!" Nami snapped, also out of breath from running up and down the halls.

"Hey! Listen!" Zoro suddenly said, screeching to a halt. Everyone paused, listening closely. They didn't hear anything, and thought Zoro was playing a trick on them.

"I don't hear anything!" Usopp whisper-shouted.

"SHH!" Zoro shushed, right when a loud bang echoed through the halls.

" _That_ I could hear," Sanji said, turning his head down a hall. "It came from that way." Everyone immediately went down the hall he had indicated to. Another bang, louder this time, made them sure it was the right direction.

"Luffy! Is that you?" Chopper called, riding on Franky's shoulder. As the noise increased in volume, they all started to get slightly suspicious.

"I hope Luffy-san is okay," Brook said worriedly.

"He's fine," Zoro said, but his voice was uncertain.

"Hey, there's a door here!" Chopper said, spotting a metal door on the side of the hall. There was a sign, but it was so faded and warped that it was illegable.

"It's coming from in there," Usopp confirmed. Another noise, louder than the others, made them jump.

"GODDAMNIT! KEEP STILL, BRAT!" came a shout from behind the door. Franky kicked the door hard enough to make it screech open. They were met with a set of wobbly-looking stairs.

"Well, we'll probably die," Zoro said bluntly, testing a step with his foot. It groaned loudly, but the sound was drowned out by another shout.

"SEE IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THIS, FREAK!"

"Just go already! Luffy could be in trouble!" Nami ordered, shoving him and Sanji up the stairs.

"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji shot up the stairs, two creaky steps at a time. Suddenly, the stairwell went quiet. The only sound was the steps and their breathing.

"Isn't that kind of scary...?" Usopp muttered, watching Zoro and Sanji with shaky knees. All of a sudden, the door at the top blew open with a resounding _crack_. An all-too-familiar sharp-toothed smile gleamed down at them.

"Oh, did you come to save your friend?" he asked nonchalantly, as if he wasn't holding a pistol in his webby hand. "Sorry to tell you, but it's too late. He already went over the edge."

* * *

 _ **You have NO IDEA how fun it was to make Zoro a mini-Navi! "Hey! Listen!" Oh, and I guess I'm sorry for leaving it on a cliffy. NOT. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

 _ ***Face turns devilish as I laugh cruelly***_

 _ ***Dean Winchester appears with a gun***_

 _ **Dean: *Shoots my lights out***_

 _ **Me: I wasn't that bad.. was I? *Dies***_

 _ **Sam: Great job, Dean. *Sarcastically***_

 _ **Dean: What? She was an idiot, anyways. Too obsessed with that weeaboo shit.**_

 _ **Me: *Reanimates* WEEABOO SHIT?!**_

 _ **Dean: Son of a bitch. *Runs because bullets won't work on an insane ghost like me***_

 _ **Sam: I had nothing to do with this... *Backs away***_

 _ **Castiel: *Randomly appears* What does weeaboo mean?**_

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...?**_


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean?! Did you fucking shoot him?!" Sanji shouted, getting all up in Arlong's face. _**(A.N. Sorry, had to XD)**_ Arlong merely shrugged, his grin still in place.

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to find out," he said in a sing-song voice. He suddenly shoved Sanji to the side, then did the same to Zoro. Coming down the creaky stairs, he decided to add more acid to his remark. "Oh, and you might want to hurry. He probably won't survive the fall."

"YOU THREW HIM OVER THE EDGE?!" Usopp shrieked in terror, tears streaking down his face. Arlong just laughed darkly.

"Go and see," he said, walking away and tucking the gun out of sight. The eight new kids glared spitefully after him before dashing up the stairs, pushing and shoving to make it up first.

"Luffy! We're coming!" Chopper called, riding on Usopp's head. But the stairway stayed silent, except for the creaking steps and their labored breath.

"D-do you think he got him?" Usopp asked nervously.

"SHUT UP. YOU'RE NOT HELPING," Zoro hissed. When they reached the upper door, it was immediately blown off it's hinges by Sanji's furious kick.

"Luffy! We're here!" Chopper exclaimed, jumping off of Usopp's head. But looking around, it seemed as if there was nobody there to answer him.

"Luffy-san..." Brook said quietly.

"Over here," came Luffy's soft, yet very noticeable voice. Everyone immediately looked to the side. There' hanging onto the wall, was of Luffy's hands.

"GYAAH!" Usopp shrieked, running over to help the boy up from the side. He grabbed Luffy's wrist as tight as he could, and pulled. Zoro wasn't far behind, and soon everyone was pulling the boy up and over the ledge. But the arm, just the arm, kept coming. Once it was about ten feet long, Usopp got worried.

"Luffy! What's with your arm?" he shouted. "It's like it's stretching!"  
"That's because it is, long nose-san," Robin said calmly. "Luffy-san ate a Devil Fruit like me, Chopper-san, and Brook-san." Usopp stared at her before looking back at the stretched arm.

"Is that true?" Sanji called.

"Yeah! Hurry and pull me up! People are staring!" Luffy said quietly, his voice giving away his nervousness. With one last large pull, the band of eight managed to pull their new friend back onto the roof.

"Thank you, everyone! I owe you one!" Luffy said, mustering a smile even as he was laying flat on his back, his breath short gasps.

"No problem!" Usopp gasped back, in the same position as Luffy. Luffy grinned at everyone around him, but suddenly his eyes went wide. His breathing got even shallower, and he suddenly sat up and clutched at his chest.

"Luffy? A-are you okay?" Chopper asked nervously. The tiny doctor knew a panic attack when he saw one. Luffy just hastily nodded, digging in his pocket for something. By now, everyone was watching him with worried looks. He pulled out a phone, to the others' confusion. Sticking the earbuds in his ears, he quickly played the first song he saw. Closing his eyes and forcing himself to take deeper breaths, he tried to recall the lyrics to this specific song. Recognizing the song immediately, he ignored the stares and began to sing along quietly.

 _'I'm an angel with a shotgun, shotgun, shotgun,_

 _Angel with a shotgun, shotgun, shotgun._

 _Get out your guns,_

 _Battle's begun._

 _Are you a saint or a sinner?_

 _If love's a fight,_

 _Then I shall die,_

 _With my heart on the trigger...'_

He peeked open an eye to see them all staring at him like he was some sort of alien that had just landed right in front of their eyes. All except Chopper, who gave him a knowing sort of look. Sighing and pulling out an earbud, he prepared for the questions.

"That was a panic attack, wasn't it?" Chopper suddenly asked. Luffy gave him a surprised look, but nodded.

"Why haven't you gone to see a docter? You need medicine for that," Chopper said, a steely glint in his eyes. Everyone turned to Luffy expectantly.

"Proably because they would give me the wrong prescription so I would die from misdiagnosis," Luffy answered bluntly. "They've tried it before."

* * *

 ** _Another cliffie! I'm sooo sorry! *Not*_**

 ** _Dean: GET OFFA MY ASS!_**

 ** _Me: NU *Is still chasing him*_**

 ** _Sam: Cas, a weeaboo is kind of like an American that likes Japanese stuff_**

 ** _Cas: Oh_**

 ** _Me: AND DEAN HERE CALLED IT SHIT! *Is on Dean's back, biting his head*_**

 ** _Dean: *Is screaming bloody murder because my teeth are goshdarn sharp*_**

 ** _TO BE CONTINUED...? *Again*_**


	9. Chapter 9

Everyone immediately sat up. Chopper blinked once. Then twice.

"The doctors tried to poison you?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"Yeah," Luffy answered, absently picking at a hole in his denim shorts.

"HOW DID YOU NOT DIE BY BULLETS?!" Usopp suddenly shrieked, noticing all the small pock marks on the wall and floor. Luffy looked around, then shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm rubber," he said simply, then looked at his hands. "They hate me, you know. Everyone does."

"Not us," Nami chimed in. Luffy looked up at her, then smiled slightly.

"Not you," he agreed quietly. "But everyone else hates me."

"How come you ran off like that?" Chopper asked suddenly, curious as always. Luffy's smile faded, and he looked down at the ground again.

"I-I thought you guys pitied me back there... And the only thing I hate more than people hating me is pitying me," he spat venomously. They were all taken aback by the harshness of his words, and even the speaker looked a little shocked.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking... How did you not die by poisoning?" Chopper squeaked, almost fearful of the answer. Luffy sensed the hesitation, and he looked up and gave the reindeer a soft smile.

"I'm immune to medicine, poison, and anything close to that," he answered.

"Still... HOW DID YOU NOT DIE BY BULLETS?!" Usopp screeched again. Luffy sighed, then pulled his cheek as far out as his arm could reach.

"Like I said, I'm rubber. Bullets don't work on rubber," he said shortly, his cheek snapping back to normal. If the others hadn't seen other Devil Fruits before, they would've long since called him a freak and ran for their lives.

"Say, Robin?" Robin blinked.

"Yes, Luffy-san?"

"What Devil Fruit did you eat?" Luffy asked, staring at her. "And Chopper, which one did you have? You, too, Brook." The adressed people all exchanged quick glances, then looked back at Luffy.

"I ate the Fleur Fleur Fruit," Robin explained, crossing her arms over her chest. A pair of arms sprouted from her shoulders, waving around just like if they were meant to be there. A small spark of awe shone in Luffy's dark eyes, but it just as quickly faded.

"I had the Human Human Fruit." Chopper turned into a large, almost human-looking figure, fur still covering his entire body. Luffy visibly squirmed with excitement, but he still controlled himself quite easily.

"I ate the Revive Revive Fruit. Yohohohoho~!" Brook laughed, waving his hat around merrily. Luffy just about pounced on the skeleton to see if he was real, but he stopped himself and merely smiled at the three other Devil Fruit users.

"Those are pretty cool, but I like mine best," he said, almost as if bragging. The eight up there with them tried not to laugh, but failed miserably and started giggling at his tone. Immediately, Luffy frowned.

"Hey, what's so funny?" he any of them could answer, the sound of the lunch bell reached their ears.

"Well, I guess we have to go," Zoro said quickly, already leaving so he could escape the raven's questions.

"Hey, wait! What was so funny?" Luffy asked again. But his new friends just slid past him, stifling their snickers behind their palms before breaking out into a run. Luffy watched them go, then just leaned up against the roof wall. The small red bird from before flew back, perching right next to him. He reached out a hand, as he did before, and the bird obediently hopped onto his finger.

"I don't know about this. They seem trustworthy, but should I really trust them?" he asked the bird. It's reply was a loud, affirmative chirp, then it flew off with the breeze, leaving just a small red feather in his palm. He smiled again, then reached up and tucked the feather into the red ribbon on his hat.

"I'm sure I'll see you again someday, little bird," he whispered into the wind.

* * *

Luffy entered his class-English, he thought-, and sat in the back as usual. He was sure that he was supposed to have Zoro in this class, but he didn't see the green-haired brute anywhere. But he couldn't exactlly dwell on it; School doesn't really give you that extra _life problem-solving_ time, do they?

* * *

"Damnit! Where's room B-14?" Zoro grouched, glaring at the schedule as if it held the answers. When it gave no reply, he angrily bunched it up in his palm and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Guess I'll just wing it," he sighed, walking off to a random direction.

And failing to see that this particular hallway read **D Hall**.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Luffy immediately left the school, not having anything to carry since he had finished all his work in class. He thought about those nice kids from before, and he almost decided to wait for them. But, in the end, he decided that if he waited, Arlong might find him out here. He started walking briskly in the direction of his home, but someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. And, as a reflex, he grabbed that arm, swung the owner over his head, slammed the man into the sidewalk, and ran like Hell back towards the Grand Line High School.


	10. Chapter 10

Luffy shoved through the crowd, causing a few people to shout some rude comments, but he ignored them and focused on getting back into the school.

"Whoah, ow," he heard the man he had flipped over grunt. He paused from his running. That...kind of souded like Franky...

"You really know how to flip a guy, Luffy-bro," Franky said with a wince, standing up. He rubbed a hand over his shaven blue hair, then turned to Luffy. Luffy's face looked horrified.

"I'm so sorry, Franky!" he apologized suddenly. "Are you okay? I didn't really hurt you, did I?"

"Didn't hurt a bit," Franky said with a grin. "But why'd you do that anyways?"

"I thought you were Arlong," Luffy said shortly. Franky nodded.

"Makes sense. Arlong isn't very super," he said. Luffy nodded, then lurched forward when someone shoved him from behind.

"Out of the way!" the boy who had shoved him snarled. Luffy gave a small, apologetic smile.

"Sorry," he mutered, stepping towards Franky. Franky watched this with anger. Why did Luffy have to apologize? He didn't do anything wrong.

"So, where's everyone else?" Franky blinked, not realizing he was glaring daggers at the boy that had shoved his friend. He looked down at Luffy, whose head was slightly tilted as he looked at Franky curiously.

"You aren't alone out here, are you?" Luffy pressed. Franky shook his head.

"Nope, all of us were just looking for you," he answered. "They should all be here right about-"  
"Hey there!"  
"-now."

Luffy leaned a little to the side to look behind Franky. All of the kids from before, even Zoro, who Luffy had assumed played hookie and left school long ago, were all running towards him and the punk-style man.

"Hey, you found him!" Usopp cheered. "Way to go, Franky!" Franky smirked smugly, rubbing his nose in contentment.

"It wasn't nothing," he said fake-humbly while Chopper gaped at him.

"You're awesome, Franky!"

"Ahem!"

All eyes went to Nami, and she gave a small glare at each of the members of their little bunch.

"I think you all forgot about the reason we're still here," she said, pointing to Luffy, who was shifting his feet with an awkward smile on his face.

"Oh, right! Sorry, Luffy-san!" Brook bowed slightly.

"O-oh, no, it's fine," Luffy said, blinking in confusion. Nobody had ever apologized to _him_ before, or called him Luffy-san for that matter. "So, why are you guys still here, anyways?"

"We wanted to walk home with you, Luffy-san," Robin supplied, smiling slightly. Luffy turned to gaze at her, then cocked his head slightly to the side.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

"Because that's what friends do," Nami said flatly. "Let's go already, the crowd was long gone." Luffy looked around to see she was right, the steps and sidewalk were completely devoid of any kind of living being except for bugs.

"Nami-swan is so beautiful when she tells us what to do~!" Sanji cooed, his eyes turning to a love-filled pit of obsession.

"Let's just go," Nami barked, adjusting her backpack and marching away. The rest of them followed quickly behind, but Luffy dropped slightly behind, close enough to hear them talking but not quite close enough to join in. Usopp was telling Chopper about his crazy home adventures, Franky was trying to explain to Brook how important Cola was to the world, Sanji and Zoro were arguing about something or another, and Nami and Robin were talking quietly to one another. Most likely about girl stuff. Luffy tuned out the rest of the conversations to listen to just the girls, curious as to why Nami looked so frustrated.

"I just don't know what to do! Arlong has me already, why does he want to bully someone else?" she seethed, pulling on the hem of her shirt. Luffy frowned. Arlong had her? What did that mean?

"I'm sure it's because he wants to feel more powerful, and he can accomplish just that by bullying as many others as he can," Robin answered calmly, not noticing Luffy listening in.

"Hey, Luffy! Who cooks better, me or the marimo?"  
"Luffy, who's the better swordsman? Me or Question over there?"  
"Have you ever had Cola before, Luffy?"  
"Listen to this story, Luffy! It's amazing!"

Luffy gave a start at the sudden questions, and saw all his friends looking at him expectantly. He tried to answer them all, but his mind drew a blank. They all thought he must've not heard him or something, and they started talking to him again, their words melting into unintelligable babble. Luffy put his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut.

"So loud..."

"Enough! Let him breathe!" Chopper demanded, hopping to stand authoritively on Luffy's head. The bunch immediately backed off, but they still watched him expectantly. Luffy took a breath, uncovered his ears, then started answering them one at a time.

"Sanji is the better cook, Zoro is the better swordsman, I've never had Cola before, and Usopp, I'd love to listen to your story," he said, smiling a little now. Nami and Robin watched appreciatively, realizing that the rest of the group had noticed how Luffy wasn't participating in the group conversations and had tried to let him join in, even though they failed miserably. They watched Luffy laugh at Usopp's tall tale, watched him frown when Sanji and Zoro started arguing again, watched him make a face after having his first taste of Cola, and watched him smile gratefully at Chopper whenever the reindeer made the others give him a little space to breath.

And they couldn't help but wonder if Luffy had belonged with them all along.

* * *

 ** _Why do I feel so sad right now?_**

 ** _It's like someone came and stole all my happy..._**

 ** _I really only write happy stuff when I'm sad, so I guess it should be counted as a good thing..._**

 ** _Please review this time, it makes me really happy when I get a new review!_**

 ** _Luffy: WHAT THE FRICK IS WITH YOUR NEW PROFILE PICTURE?!_**

 ** _Me:...Pikachu?_**

 ** _Luffy: No. Just...no_**

 ** _Me: *Shoves him away* Nobody asked you_**

 ** _Luffy: ...That_ is ****_me_**

 ** _Me: ...Point taken_**


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Luffy was surprised to find the whole gang standing at the corner of his street, waving at him like idiots.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"We live pretty close together, so we should at least walk to school together!" Nami chirped, having lost the strange attitude from the day before.

"Yeah, I guess," Luffy said with a shrug. "If you don't mind people judging you and everything because I'm here." Chopper gave him a stare, as if telling him to shut up.

"Do you think we give a shit?" Zoro grunted, saying just what he had said to Hatchi before. Luffy blinked, then looked down.

"Yeah, I guess not. You guys don't seem like the type to care about what others think..."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Brook said good-naturedly. Luffy shrugged again.

"Whatever you want it to be," he answered, then started walking. The rest of the gang were quick to follow.

"So, Luffy," Usopp began conversationally. Luffy hummed a little to show that he heard. "What's it like at your house?" Luffy visibly stiffened, but kept up his cheerful facade.

"It's kind of creepy, because it creaks a lot. And there isn't any windows in my room, so it's always pitch black when I turn off the lights," he answered with a forced smile that looked more like a grimace. Usopp blinked, then raised his hands up as if surrendering.

"If you don't want to say, don't say," he said quickly, before Luffy could continue, and Luffy's smile became less strained.

"No, it's fine. You were bound to ask eventually. Although you did ask sooner than most would..." He ended with a slightly teasing tone, which surprised most of the group. Luffy was actually _joking_. As in, _real joking_ , not dark humor or anything they would expect from him. He seemed way too happy for a guy that had no friends or family for years and years on end. It kind of made you just want to smile along with him, pretending everything's alright, even when it wasn't.

"You calling me weird?" Usopp hissed playfully. Luffy's eyes widened in mock fear.

"No way! Why would I call you weird?-" then he added, "-long nose." Usopp feigned hurt, then turned away with disgust.

"I don't know why I bother talking to a shrimp about my awesomeness," he scoffed. Luffy suddenly looked angry for real, as if Usopp might've touched on a sensitive subject. They all immedately grew wary.

"I'M DRINKING ALL THE MILK I CAN, OKAY? IT'S NOT MY FAULT EVERYONE ELSE GROWS FASTER THAN ME!" Luffy suddenly howled, raising his fists into the air indignantly. Everyone jumped at his sudden loud voice, and they noticed some annoyed looks from passerbys, but they all laughed all the same.

"STOP LAUGHING, YOU INHUMAN GIANTS!" Luffy raged, kicking a rock halfway across the street. This just made them laugh even harder, and even Robin was stifling giggles behind her palm.

"I'M DONE WITH YOU ALL!" Luffy suddenly ran ahead of them, not too fast to where they couldn't easily catch up but fast enough to leave them behind.

"Wait, Luffy! We're sorry!" Nami called, but she was still laughing. Luffy looked back with a snort of disbelief, but he stopped running.

Nobody even spotted the car before it was too late to do anything about it.

* * *

 _ **LONG AN ALERT! SKIP IF YOU DON'T CARE!**_

 _ ***Raises an eyebrow***_

 _ **Well? Anybody have anything to say?**_  
 _ **Go ahead and rage on me, I know I deserve it *Holds out arms wide to receive my hate like a man***_

 _ **Luffy: You're going to run me over, aren't you?**_  
 _ **Me: Nope. Not even close. Though the car has something to do with what I'm planning... *Rubs hands together like a mad scientist***_

 _ **And I hope you enjoyed this, even if it is short and crappy. Just... please leave a positive review. I really need the support right now.**_

 _ **Luffy: Eh, what happened?**_

 _ **Me: Nothing important. Go back to getting run over.**_

 _ **Luffy: *Pouts***_

 _ **Sorry for the long Author's Note, but I just... I don't even know anymore. My mind is just messed up right now. Not in a really bad way, but still.**_

 _ **I really need some syrup right now... Too bad we ran out...**_

 _ **Anyways, please review, and-**_

 _ **Luffy: You said that already.**_

 _ **Me: ...I did? Sorry, my mind is... scrambled eggs.**_

 _ **Maybe it's edible**_

 _ **Again, SORRY FOR THE LONG AN! IF I CAN THINK OF SOMETHING, I'LL MAKE AN OMAKE OR SOMETHING IF SOMEONE SUGGESTS ONE!**_

 _ **Now, away~**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Ugh... I finally dragged my lazy butt up and wrote this...**_

 _ **Seriously, I'm too nice to you all...**_

* * *

They watched in horror as the speeding truck was on a collision course with their newest friend. But at the last second, the car veered to the side, and a large arm shot out of the passenger's seat. The hand at the end happened to catch Luffy in the face, grabbing him and dragging the poor boy along for the ride. The group watched in horror as the hand pulled Luffy through the open window, the victim struggling against his captors. By the time they realized what had happened, the window had long since rolled up and the car long gone.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Usopp shrieked first, causing a chain reaction among the group. Some *Nami* started screaming as well, but some like Zoro and Sanji kept their cool.

"I hope Luffy-san didn't break his neck," Robin said calmly, causing Chopper to lose it next.

"LUFFY'S GONNA DIE!" he wailed, putting his hooves on his head.

"He'll be fine," Sanji grunted. "He's made of rubber, remember?"

* * *

"You're made of rubber, then?" one of the thugs asked, pinching the skin on Luffy's arm. Luffy immediately aimed a kick at the man, making him pull back his hand with a chuckle.

"Now, now. Don't be like that," Arlong chided. "Just because we grabbed you off of the street unwillingly doesn't mean we kidnapped you." This small comment earned him some dark chuckles from his friends. Luffy kept his mouth shut, as usual, but made a very rude gesture at Arlong that happened to involve the middle finger. All of the men in the car, to what Luffy added up to be about four squashed inside the slightly-too-small truck, started laughing at his small defiant gesture. Arlong himself, sitting at the wheel, looked back with a triumphant smirk.

"Where are your little friends now, freak?" he sneered, just as one of the men slapped a sickly-sweet-smelling cloth over Luffy's face. Luffy varely had time to think _chloroform(?)_ before he passed out.

* * *

"Hurry up!" Zoro shouted through the phone.

"You slow down! Why am I following you anyways?" Sanji roared back. Chopper, Usopp, and Robin all snickered behind him, and he was sure he could hear Nami, Brook, and Franky laughing over the phone. The red Chevy Zoro was driving gave a loud backfire, and Zoro cursed as Sanji pulled ahead of him in a black Mercedes.

"I'm pretty sure it went that way!" Zoro heard Nami's voice crackle over the growl of the engines. Sanji's car immediately swerved to the left, making a few drivers honk angrily. Zoro followed close behind, almost sure that Arlong went the other way.

"Hey, is that it?" The two cars screeched to a stop when Usopp pointed out a dark green truck parked in front of an old-looking warehouse, covered in graffiti, trash littering the cracked parking lot.

"How cliche... The bully brings his victim to an old, abandoned warehouse and tells him to 'scream all you want, nobody can hear you'," Sanji growled sarcastically, stepping out of the Mercedes. The whole crew poured out of the two cars, gathering up in front of the broken-down building.

"Well, here we are," Zoro grunted, "and we aren't even going inside?" The crew took the hint, but right when they took their first step, Kuroobi stepped out from behind a tree like some kind of ninja fish man or something.

"I'm afraid that's far enough. I'll have to ask you to leave before someone gets hurt."

* * *

 _ **And... done! I can run free again! *Runs amock amid the fields of syrup***_

 _ **At least I updated something, even if it was short, right? I'll make the next chapter longer. I promise *Fingers crossed***_


	13. Chapter 13

Zoro stiffened where he stood, the rest of the group following his lead.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Sanji sneered, stepping forward. Kuroobi uncrossed his arms and went into some kind of Martial Arts stance.

"I'll stop you," he said simply. Sanji snorted out a laugh, smoke escaping his mouth. He wasn't supposed to be smoking, but who cared anyways?

"You're going to stop us?" he asked sarcastically. "And how, might I ask, will you do that?"

"With these," Kuroobi said, showing off two blade-like points on his arms. Sanji made a low, impressed whistle.

"Nice toys you got there," he said, flicking askes off his cigarette. "You all go on, I'll keep him back." Zoro nodded, and started ahead, only for Kuroobi to jump in his way.

"I said-"  
"Out of the way, shithead!" Sanji made a well-aimed kick to the fishman's shoulder, causing the man to skid away. Nami gave a nod of thanks as the group slipped inside.

"Nami-san is so adorable when she nods at me!" Sanji suddenly swooned, making Kuroobi blink in confusion. The metal door the crew entered closed with a lod thud, and Sanji turned back to the fishman.

"Shall we continue?" he suggested, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and dropping it to the ground, grinding it into the asphalt.

"With pleasure," Kuroobi said, face remaining impassive as he resumed a fighting stance.

* * *

"Damn that love cook!" Zoro hissed, once again seething that the 'damn love cook is hogging all the action'.

"Cool it, greenie," Nami snapped, giving him a cold glare. "We're here to rescue Luffy, you got that?" Zoro didn't meet her gaze, instead choosing to give a sullen nod.

"I hope they didn't kill Luffy-san," Robin said calmly, making Usopp and Chopper gain the shivers.

"D-don't say things like that!" Chopper whimpered, hiding backwards behind Usopp's leg.

"Did you all hear that?" Franky suddenly said, reaching out a giant hand to stop them. They all fell silent, listening for whatever it was Franky had just heard.

"Is that...?"  
"Yup."  
Nami sighed.

"Let's go get him..."

When only a single metal door separated them from the loud shouts and chaotic crashes, Nami held up three fingers.

'On three,' she mouthed, closing her fist.

One finger went up.

Then two.

By the time the third finger was up, Zoro was up and storming into the room, Franky and Usopp on his heels. The sight that greeted them was almost comical.

There was a bunch of fishmen, running around on the floor with panic in their eyes, while the man they knew and hated as Arlong was laughing his head off while pointing to the ceiling. The crew of new kids followed his finger, and gaped at the scene.

Luffy was clinging to the rafters, his rubber arms wrapped several times around one of the beams, his hat nearly falling off of his head. But his gaze was filled with anger and determination as he stared at Arlong.

"I'm not coming down, you fucking bastard!" he howled, startling the new group out of their stupor with his sudden sailor's language. "Go to Hell, for all I care!"  
"T-this is too much!" Arlong gasped out between chuckles. "He actually thinks his friends are going to save him!"  
"They will! I'm sure of it! I know they aren't the type of people to just leave someone behind!" Luffy shouted defiantly. "Even if I did only meet them a few days ago, I trust them!"  
"Trust?" Arlong said incrediously. "You actually trust some people? Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you trusted someone?" Luffy's gaze became suddenly uncertain and shadowed.

"These people are different," he muttered, but he was a lot more hesitant than before.

"Damn right we are!" Zoro suddenly yelled. Luffy jumped, his arms retracting before he could stop them, and almost fell off the rafters. Arlong suddenly turned to stare at them. Zoro noted, with interest, how Nami tried to hide behind him without drawing any attention to it.

"You did come!" Luffy crowed. "Hang on, I'm coming down!" He gripped a straight horizontal bar and leaned back, stretching his arms.

"He won't."  
"He will."

"WOOHOO!" Luffy suddenly zipped forward, over Arlong's head, and crashed face-first into Zoro's gut. The poor man was sent flying back into the wall, Luffy tumbling after him.

"Ooh, that's got to hurt," Nami said with a wince, now partially hidden behind Franky.

"Thanks for catching me!" Luffy said cheerfully, getting up and dusing himself off.

"It's not like you gave me a choice," Noro grunted, trying to pry his arm out of the dented metal that seemed to have molded itself to the shape of his arm.

"So, do we run now?" Usopp asked, voice steady but his knees shaking.

"Yep. Let's run like Hell."

* * *

 ** _Luffy: ...They came for me! *Sniffs dramatically*_**

 ** _Me: *Rolls eyes* No, duh. Please review! Please please please!_**


	14. Chapter 14

Every single one of them turned and ran for their lives out the door. A thunder of footsteps followed behind, but they were't nearly close enough to be a threat.

"Shishi! Thanks for saving me!" Luffy chuckled, holding his hat down with a hand.

"No problem," Nami huffed, already out of breath. They reched the exit, and Luffy exploded out the door. Sanji dodged the door, but Kuroobi wasn't so lucky. The thick door struck him right in the face, possibly breaking his nose.

"That's gotta hurt," Usopp said with a wince. Sanji and Zoro leaped into their cars, and the rest piled after them. Luffy, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper went with Sanji, while Brook, Franky, and Robin joined Zoro. The cars were just screeching away when the first of the fishmen barged out the door, once again striking Kuroobi's face.

"After them!" the first fishman shouted, pointing to the retreating cars. A few black Mercedes, copies of Sanji's own, sped after them.

"Go this way!" Luffy suddenly ordered, leaning over in the passenger's seat to point to a turnoff. There wasn't any traffic, curiously enough, and Sanji jerked to the left.

"Now go that way!"  
"Head to Genz Street!"  
"Turn here!"

Sanji's head was spinning from Luffy's demands, but he automatically listened. By the time they pulled into a parking lot, they had long since lost the Mercedes. But Zoro, miraculously, kept up with Sanji the whole time.

"What is this place?" Usopp asked abruptly, kicking a discarded soda can across the parking lot.

"It's Wal-Mart*," Luffy stated. "There's so many cars here already, so they can't find us easily."  
Looking around, the group noticed that he was right. They had parked in one of the small empty pockets, further from the doors than most people liked. Getting out of the cars, the group gathered up in an empty space in between the cars.

"We should go inside. We'll be less suspicious," Luffy suggested, already heading over. The crew had no choice but to follow, confused with Luffy's sudden authorativity. Reaching the automatic doors, Luffy practically threw them inside.

"Luffy...? What's the real reason you want us inside?" Usopp asked skeptically, having detected a lie when Luffy said they'd be less suspicious. Luffy's face suddenly changed from authorative to secretive, and he hopped from foot to foot.

"I gotta go..." he mumbled, then ran off. The crew, confused at first, stared after him.

"Should we follow?" Robin asked.

"Nah, leave him. He'll come back," Zoro said, shrugging. And, just like he had predicted, Luffy came back minutes later with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I had to go... you know." He waved a hand in the direction of the bathrooms, and everyone sighed at his reason.

"Well, we're here anyways. Might as well do some shopping!" Nami cheered.

"Do I have to carry everything again?" Chopper asked mournfully.

"Nope! Luffy can carry the bags," Nami decided.

"Okay," Luffy agreed immediately, startling the orange-haired girl.

"Wh- you won't complain about it?" she asked incrediously. Luffy shrugged.

"Am I supposed to...?" He looked around at his friends' faces with a curious stare. "I woudn't know. I've never been to Wal-Mart with other people before."  
"Nope! You don't complain!" Nami said quickly, grabbing Luffy's wrist and starting to pull him away. The others could only watch in horror as Nami dragged the unsuspecting teen to the clothes aisle, pulling each and every outfit off the racks and piling it into Luffy's arms.

"We start out chasing a gangster, and end up shopping. How did that happen?" Sanji mused, dousing his cigarette since smoking wasn't allowed in Wal-Mart.

"Beats me," Zoro grunted, walking off to the frozen foods aisle.

"Everyone meet here in an hour, okay?" Usopp said. The group nodded, then each went on their own Wal-Mart adventures, ducking for cover each time they saw a fishman. Chopper and Usopp went to the small arcade, Sanji went food shopping, Robin disappeared to elsewhere, Brook trolled the ladies, Franky went to the toy aisle to find machine parts for his new invention, and Zoro... got lost. Luffy was practically Nami's slave, carrying everything wherever she told him to.

* * *

"Thank you again, Luffy!" Nami gushed, swinging her one bag around. Luffy gave a grin, slightly shifting his arms. The bag perched on his head didn't move even half an inch. Reaching Sanji's car, Nami opened the trunk and dropped her bag inside. Luffy carefully placed the many bags he was holding in one by one.

"Why are you always so careful?" Nami asked, surprising herself. Luffy looked up, making the bag on his head slip dangerously to the side. Snatching it up, he placed it into the trunk.

"Just used to it, I guess," he answered after a moment of silence. Nami nodded, understanding, then turned back to the store.

"Let's go find the others. We better leave soon. A storm's coming."

* * *

 _ ***Wal-Mart- A grocery store in the U.S.. I had to say it, because some people don't know what Wal-Mart is.**_

 _ **And mean old Nami, making Luffy carry her bags!**_


	15. Chapter 15

Right after Nami had said it would storm, a fat drop landed on Luffy's nose. He glared up at the sky, then stomped to Sanji's car and slammed the door behind him. Usopp, already in the car, looked at him in surprise as the rubber boy locked all the doors except the driver's door. A few of Luffy's new friends tried opening the doors, but soon gave up and ran to Zoro's car. Sanji himself stepped inside, giving a curious look to his passengers, but didn't say anything.

The ride back was silent, except for the soft patter of the rain and the rhythmic swishes of the windshield wipers. Luffy was staring hard out the window, as if the rain had offended him somehow. Not even a sudden clap of lightning made him so much as blink.

"Hey, Luffy, you okay?" Usopp asked, putting a hand on Luffy's shoulder. The said boy jumped in his seat, whirling to face Usopp. His eyes were wild and terrified, like someone was holding a knife to his throat. He calmed down immediately when he saw it was just Usopp.

"I just feel like we forgot something..." he murmured, turning back to the window and frowning again. Usopp watched for a second, thinking he would add more, but Luffy stayed silent. He sighed and checked the time on his phone.

"It's only twelve o' clock? Dang, time's going slow today," he remarked, sliding his phone back in his pocket. Luffy suddenly sprang to life, his eyes wide as he whipped his head around.

"School! We forgot school!" he shouted, making Usopp freak out as well.

"OH MY GOD! WE FORGOT ABOUT SCHOOL! AND IT'S ONLY OUR SECOND DAY!" he screamed, and Sanji glared at them using the rear-view mirror.

"So what? It's only one day," he growled, struggling to steer with one hand and douse his cigarette with the other. Usopp relaxed instantly.

"Yeah, it's only one day," he reassured himself. Luffy was still tense, but he stopped yelling.

"This is all Arlong's fault," he growled lowly, startling Usopp and Sanji.

"Did you just realize that?" Sanji asked humorously.

"No. I just now said it," Luffy said flatly. "And now I'm hungry." His stomach growled, proving his point. Sanji snorted with laughter, and Usopp grinned.

"So now the big bad escapee is hungry?" Usopp chuckled. Luffy didn't get why they were laughing.

"Um, yeah? I didn't get breakfast, you know. Tell Zoro not to lose us," he added, pointing behind them with his thumb where Zoro, Chopper, Nami, Robin, Franky, and Brook were all squeezed into. Sanji nodded, still lightly smiling, and pulled out his phone.

"Hey marimo, we're going to stop to eat... What? No! Luffy just... Well, fuck you too! We're just going to McDonalds!... Shut up!... No, you are! Just... OH MY GOD, SHUT UP!... YOU KNOW, TO HELL WITH THIS!" Sanji angrily stabbed his thumb onto the 'end call' button, and Zoro's angry shouting was instantly quieted. Usopp was struggling not to let out his laughs, while Luffy just glared out the window again.

"Hang on," Sanji warned, taking a sharp turn into McDonald's parking lot. Usopp was tossed against Luffy, but the raven didn't seem to notice that he was being Usopp's pillow.

"Hey, we're here," Sanji announced, unlocking the doors and stepping out. Luffy didn't move until Usopp had slammed his door closed, then he was out of the car within seconds, his stomach growling again.

"What about Zoro?" Usopp asked, loking back to where they had come from.

"He's going home. We're having a sleepover at his house, I guess," Sanji grunted, trying to light another cigarette, even though the rain kept drowning the flames.

"Let's go!" Luffy said impatiently, stomping through the rain to the fast-food restaurant. Sanji and Usopp exchanged glances, then followed him inside.

* * *

"Stupid cook... Stupid car... Stupid streets... Stupid-"

"Okay, we get it. Everything is stupid. Now turn that way," Nami interrupted, pointing to the right. Zoro jerked to the right, making everyone tilt into each other.

"There, you see? We're here," Nami said patiently, pointing at Zoro's house. Zoro mumbled something insultive under his breath before roughly pulling into the driveway, the car lurching and rocking over the rocks. When he finally came to a full stop, his passengers were almost sure their brains had gotten mixed up.

"Get outta my car," Zoro barked, unlocking the doors and charging out into the rain. The group obediently followed, sprinting inside as fast as possible. Usopp closed the door behind him, leaving the house in almost pich black. The only light came from the porch light, making shadows across the walls. Brook laughed softly, and the echoes sent shivers down everyone's spines. Except Zoro and Robin. They just stood there like they owned the place. (Zoro actually did, though)

"Come on, does nobody know the meaning of 'light switches' these days?" Zoro sighed, flipping the said switch. The house was immediately illuminated in soft yellow light, and everyone let out a collectove sigh of relief.

"So... do we just wait for Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp?" Chopper asked curiously.

"I guess. I'm going to the bathroom," Zoro grunted, heading forward.

"It's that way," Robin said smoothly, pointing down a different hallway.

"I knew that."

* * *

 _ **Yay! An update!**_

 _ **Aw, why is Luffy in such a bad mood? :(**_

 _ **Luffy: Shut up. I don't want to talk about it.**_

 _ **Me: *Big eyes* Aw, Luffy!**_

 _ **Luffy: *Deadly glare* I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!**_

 _ **Me: WELL YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT! *Breathes fire and chases him***_

 _ **Chopper: *Coughs nervously* Um, please review, if only to make our author... um... calm down...**_

 _ **Me: GET BACK HERE, LITTLE BOY! *Devil horns sprout from my head as I take flight with my devil wings, my eyes glowing red***_

 _ **Luffy: *Shivers from his spot behind a trash can***_

 _ **Usopp: LUFFY'S GONNA DIIIEEEE!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Me: *Sighs as I toss Luffy back to the earth***_

 _ **Luffy: *Stays still, pretending to be dead***_

 _ **Me: You need to get back into the story. Get out of here, before I change my mind.**_

 _ **Luffy: *Bolts up and runs to the story***_

 _ **Me: Okay, to the chapter!**_

* * *

Luffy slumped in his seat at the window, glaring out at the rain. He mumbled something to himself, and Usopp, sitting beside him, cast Sanji a confused glance. Sanji, on the opposite side, leaned forward.

"What did he say?" he whispered.

"Something about the rain ruining his good mood," Usopp murmured back. Luffy shot the two an annoyed stare, making them quiet down, then turned back to the window.

"He certainly is in a bad mood," Usopp breathed. Sanji nodded in agreement, leaning back in his own seat.

"May I take your order?" Luffy said, just as the man at the counter said it to another customer. Sanji chuckled softly.

"They better hurry up with our order. I'm starving," Usopp said loudly, patting his stomach. But it was Luffy's stomach that growled.

"You think you're hungry? Try not eating anything for half the day," he said, less sharply than Usopp expected.

"Er... yeah..." Usopp flushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Here's your order," Luffy and the waiter said simultaneously. The waiter was smiling politely, but she kept casting hateful looks at Luffy as she set down a tray covered in burgers and fries. Another waiter came with a dozen milkshakes, and Luffy waited until they had gone before snatching at least five of the burgers and three packages of fries.

"That waiter was beautiful!" Sanji sighed, swirling his straw in his milkshake with a dreamy expression.

"Yeah, sure," Luffy muttered bitterly, jabbing a fry into his ketchup.

"Luffy, if you don't mind me asking..." Usopp began. Luffy glanced at him to show he was listening.

"Why are you in such a bad mood, anyways?" Luffy shrugged.

"I don't have any reason to be happy, now do I?" he asked scornfully. Usopp blinked, then guiltily lowered his gaze.

"Er, I guess..." He stuffed a burger in his mouth to stifle his embarrassment. Luffy stared at him, then a small grin worked it's way across his face.

"I'm not mad at you, if that's what you're thinking," he said, way softer than before. "I'm just in a mood right now, so don't take anything I say personally."

"Uh, o-kay..." Luffy chuckled slightly.

"Well, at least I'm full now." Sanji blinked, then looked down at the table. There was one package of fries, half-full, and two burgers out of twenty left.

"HEY!" he screeched, snatching one of the last burgers before Luffy's rubbery fingers got to it.

"Not my fault you decided to just sit there," Luffy mumbled, but his bad mood had already almost completely disappeared as fast as it came. And Usopp and Sanji were glad for that.

* * *

"Hey, Zoro? Where's the kitchen?" Chopper called, peeking around the corner of the hallway.

"Down the hall," Zoro answered, a hand poking out of his room to point at Chopper.

"Thanks." Chopper went the opposite way of Zoro's finger, knowing of Zoro's common direction fails.

"Hey, Zoro-bro! Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving!" Franky shouted.

"Follow Chopper!" came Zoro's irritable reply.

"Where's the bathroom?" Brook wondered aloud. "Zoro-san!"

"That way!" Zoro growled, once again pointing the opposite way.

"Zoro!"

"MY GOD WHAT IS IT NOW?!"

"Vivi-san came to visit," Robin said calmly, sitting at Zoro's desk. Zoro slapped a hand to his face.

"And this is why we've never had a sleepover here before," he muttered. "Everyone annoys me and invites other people without asking."

"That's the price of having friends," Robin said softly, smiling.

"Well, it's a stupid price. I want a refund," Zoro mumbled, stalking out to see Vivi.

"Other way, Zoro-san," Robin used a disembodied hand to point to the living room.

"I know, I was just testing you," Zoro said sulkily, turning and stomping to the living room.

"Sure, sure," Robin giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. (NOT using her Fleur powers)

* * *

 _ **And here is the filler! Yaay!**_

 ** _Luffy: I hate filler_**

 ** _Me: Well, deal with it. There's gonna be quite a few filler chapters later, because I'm going to start making longer chapters. The fillers will be tinier updates inbetween the bigger events, and I might also make an omake once or twice. Suggestions, anyone?_**

 ** _Luffy: I know one. Tell them about that one time you-_**

 ** _Me: NO WAY. GET BACK IN YOUR PRISON._**

 ** _Luffy: But-_**

 ** _Me: *Shoves him away* Please review! I know, it's selfish, but I'd like the encouragement!_**

 ** _Reader: What did you mean by 'prison'?_**

 ** _Me: *Looks away nervously* I have no idea what you're talking about_**


	17. Chapter 17

As the trio left the restaurant, Sanji and Usopp deliberately stood on either side of Luffy to clearlyshow that yes, they were friends with 'the demon kid'. Luffy's irritable mood had returned, and he was so absorbed with glaring right back at all the haters that he didn't even notice Sanji and Usopp's positions.

"Guess we're heading to marimo's house now," Sanji said mournfully, unlocking his car. Luffy jumped into the passenger's seat, to his surprise, but he made no comment.

"D'you think Zoro even made it home?" Usopp snickered. Sanji grinned as he stepped into the car.

"Maybe not, but we at least have to be there," he said, starting up the car. Usopp hurriedly entered and fastened his seat belt, though Sanji and Luffy made no move to do the same. (Those two are too macho to worry about something as frivolous as _seat belts_ ) The ride was just as silent as before, and the air seemed to crackle with awkwardness.

"Have you ever wondered how the sun feels when the rain clouds cover it?" Luffy asked abruptly. Usopp and Sanji shared a glance through the rearview mirror.

"Not really. I mean, the sun is just a giant ball of flaming fart," Usopp said, chuckling to himself. Sanji nodded in agreement, faintly amused.

"But how would you feel if you were stifled by darkness, and there wasn't anything you could do about it?" Luffy's head turned, and his dark eyes burned like fire. "Nobody likes being covered in darkness, no matter what they think. Especially someone as bright as the sun." He turned away, back to staring at the window, and sighed loudly. Usopp was staring at him, shocked, while Sanji stared out the windshield, struggling to keep his face impassive.

The silence was no longer awkward, but instead hung with tension, and the ride seemed longer than any of them would've liked.

* * *

"They're here!" Chopper said excitedly, watching the Mercedes pull into the driveway. He popped open the doorway and ran to the car, crashing into Sanji's legs and almost knocking the blond over. The rest came behind, save for Franky, who was doing 'manly business'.

"Geez, we were only gone for an hour," Sanji remarked casually, patting Chopper's head. Usopp snickered before slamming the door closed, then winced in fear when Sanji gave him a hard glare.

"Sorry... Didn't mean to slam it..." he whimpered, dashing inside. Sanji's stare followed the long-nosed boy inside, burning through the walls to scorch it's victim.

"Where's Luffy?" Chopper asked, looking up.

"Here," Luffy grumbled, slowly exiting the car and closing the door, much gentler than Usopp had. Chopper made to hug Luffy as well, but hesitated when he saw Luffy's stormy expression. The second Luffy's eyes landed on his friends, the look disappeared and he smiled warmly.

"Hey!" he said brightly, and just like that, Chopper lunged forward and trapped Luffy's legs in a hug.

"Glad you're here!" Franky said, coming outside to stand on the porch. And, just like Luffy's mood had brightened, the rain faltered, then stopped completely as the sun struggled free from it's cloudy coverings.

"Let's get inside! I have something to show you!" Chopper's eyes gleamed, and he gave Luffy a big smile, drawing a light laugh from the raven.

"You know, sleepovers are fun!" Luffy said cheerfully, walking lopsidedly with Chopper clinging to his right leg, squealing happily. When he got to the stairs, he paused before lifting his leg high enough to skip every step and jump directly to the porch.

"You know, I always wonder why everyone thinks he's so terrible," Nami mused, moving to stand beside Sanji. He nodded, rolling his cigarette in his fingers.

"People hate others because it makes them feel better about themselves, because they think that they aren't as bad as that person. Right, Robin-chwan?" He scooted over to stand beside the woman, and she gave an affirmative nod.

"Luffy-san is just merely a convenient target for their hate and frustrations," Brook added in, shaking his skeletal head. "It makes my heart ache for him. Ah! But-"  
"-You have no heart," Sanji interrupted bluntly. Brook kneeled to the ground, a dark cloud gathering over his head.

"You can't just do that... It ruins it..." he muttered, and Sanji rolled his eyes.

"WHAT IS THIS? WHERE DID YOU GET THIS STUFF? IT TASTES LIKE HEAVEN!" Everyone smiled when they heard Luffy's excited shouts, and they unanimously turned and headed inside.

* * *

 _ **Woo! Filler! Am I right? No?**_

 _ **Sorry about the barf updates, it just takes forever to actually write certain scenes. *Coughs awkwardly in the resulting silence***_

 _ ***Coughs again, because now the silence is scaring me***_

 ** _*Coughs even more because the silence is just getting plain terrifying*_**

 _ **Luffy: Can I come out now? *Pouts***_

 ** _Me: Sure, you can! Right after I put this padlock on the door! *Fiddles with said padlock*_**

 ** _Luffy: I hate you!_**

 ** _Me: If you review, I may consider freeing him... *Smiles evilly as I lock the lock*_**


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Luffy woke up to the sound of a small buzz, right by the window, He looked over, and spotted Zoro's phone buzzing out an alarm. All of the bodies scattered on the couches or the floor started shifting, and Luffy jumped up and padded, on silent feet, over to the phone. He turned off the alarm, and looked around. They were starting to settle again, and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Good morning, Luffy-san." He jumped about a foot in the air, stifling a cry of alarm, then swung around to see Robin in the kitchen, calmly drinking a small cup of coffee as she read about sonething or another. He relaxed completely, surprising himself with how much trust he had already placed in his newfound friends.

"G'morning, Robin," he said pleasantly, giving her a sincere smile. These particular smiles had been coming more and more often, and became less and less forced the more he hung around these people. "What time is it?" Robin paused in her reading long enough to pull out her phone and give it a glance.

"Nearly nine o' clock," she said. Luffy's eyes widened.

"What about school?! Oh, god, we're all going to get detention for this-"

"It's Saturday," Robin said calmly, turning a page in her book. Luffy blinked.

"Oh. Okay." He looked outside, at the uncut grass and untamed bushes in Zoro's lawn. He suddenly coughed lightly, then brought up his arm to cover up a more violent cough. Robin raised her eyes from her book long enough to stare at the boy.

"Are you okay, Luffy-san?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Luffy said dismally, waving his free hand while rubbing his nose with his other. Robin looked back down at her book and took a sip of coffee. She read the same line over and over, her mind buzzing.

"Luffy-san...?" Luffy looked up curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Have you felt well lately?" Robin asked abruptly, still reading the one line.

"Yeah... Why do you want to know?" His voice held just a little of barely-concealed defensiveness, and Robin at once knew her assumption was correct.

"Don't lie to me, Luffy," she said, though she didn't look up. Luffy tensed when he realized she had dropped the _-san_ , her voice hiding the small, unspoken threat. _'You better tell it to me straight, or there'll be hell to pay.'_

"I-I guess I've had headaches every once in a while... And my stomach won't let me eat as much as usual..." He looked down at his bare feet, shifting his weight between them. "Why do you want to know?"

"I believe you are sick," Robin stated, finally meeting Luffy's eyes. Luffy stared at her, then shrugged.

"So? I've been sick before. Never killed me," he said flatly, looking away. "Besides, medicine and stuff doesn't work on me. If I'm sick, I just have to stick it out until I get better." He petulantly stuck out his tongue at the older woman. "So there! Stop bugging me!" Robin blinked at his sudden sullen attitude, then laughed softly.

"As the rubber man wishes," she said, looking back at her book. Luffy watched for a second, until he got bored and left. He entered the living room, where everyone was still snoring away.

He grinned wickedly, a cruel light shining in his eyes. He silently approached the sleeping, green-haired host, then reached down and slowly pulled the blanket off. Zoro mumbled sleepily, then unexpectedly reached over, grabbed Luffy's leg, and pulled the younger boy over him like a blanket. Luffy screeched in surprise, then kicked Zoro's hand away from his ankle and kicked the sleeping man in the face.

Zoro's resultant shout of pain roused the rest of the crew, and they all sleepily rose form their slumber to see an enraged Luffy stomping away from a cursing Zoro-who was rubbing his face vigorously-, the former visibly fuming. Luffy shot a last glare over his shoulder before exiting the house, slamming the door behind him.

Sanji looked back and forth between the slammed door and the cussing marimo, before shaking his head and lighting a cigarette.

"I don't even want to know," he sighed.

* * *

Luffy stormed down the street, and everyone he encountered backed away from him as fast as they could. Usually, he'd just smile and wave, but today he glared heatedly at everyone that even glanced at him. That is, until he smacked face-first into someone, falling backwards, landing hard on his butt.

"Owww..." He glanced up, and met the eyes of a tall, tattooed man that glared down at him. Luffy swallowed, expecting a harsh comment, but instead a hand was offered to him.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't looking at where I was going," he apologized. Luffy hesitated, before taking the hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Trafalgar Law."

"What?"

"My name is Trafalgar Law." Luffy blinked. This was the first time some random person had walked up and introduced themselves willingly.

"Um, Luffy," he said plainly. 'Law' grinned, then walked away.

"I'm sure we'll meet again, Luffy," he said over his shoulder. Luffy watched him go, then shook out his hand. That Law guy had a really strong grip.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll meet again," he muttered, trying to imitate Law's deep tone and failing. He stalked away, still grumbling, before coughing once again into his sleeve.

"I should probably get back..." he mumbled. He turned back the way he had come from, then started walking a little faster. He should probably apologize to Zoro, since the green-headed man didn't even know what he did. Luffy growled again when he remembered how Zoro had pulled him to the floor, and he kicked a rock across the street.

"I am _not_ a blanket!" he hissed to himself. He sighed and rubbed his elbow, which had been scraped on the floor when he fell.

"It isn't his fault..." he muttered. "But still! That hurt!"

 _'But you were going after him first_ _,'_ the voice in his head reminded him. _'Consider it payback for what you tried to do.'_

"Fine." He sighed again. "I hate my brain." And with a few more coughs, he was off to apologize to Zoro.

* * *

 ** _IT WAS NOT A ZOLU MOMENT, KAAYYYY? I just imagined Zoro using Luffy as a blanket, sonce my mind is going INSANE._**

 ** _NO JUDGING, PEOPLE!_**

 ** _Oh, and what do we have here? Law steps into the picture! What does this sneaky pickle want to do in town?_**

 ** _Leave a review! Oh, and thank phonenix for inspiring me to upate this! And since I got the required number of reviews, though it was a little late, Luffy is free!_**

 ** _Luffy: *Waves happily* Thank you, reviewers!_**

 ** _Me: Okay, now go away *Wipes him off the A.N.*_**

 ** _Revieeewwww! Pleeaassee!_**

 ** _Again, NOT a ZoLu moment! Just a moment of friendship, peace, and-_**

 ** _Zoro: #%!*^ ! &*_**

 ** _Me: Ah, yes. Peace and friendship..._**


	19. Chapter 19

Luffy quietly stepped inside, rubbing the back of his head. Everyone stared at him expectantly.

"Um, Zoro?" Luffy began hesitantly. "S-sorry for kicking you in the face..."

"No problem," Zoro said airily, waving a hand in his face. "I'm hungry."

"I'm making breakfast already, pig," Sanji grunted. Luffy blinked.

"Wait, so you aren't going to abandon me?" he asked, looking shocked. He got a few funny looks.

"Why would we? It was just a misunderstanding," Nami said. Luffy blinked again, then shook his head vigorously.

"O-okay." He followed Sanji into the kitchen, almost as if in a daze. After he had disappeared, Nami turned to stare at Robin.

"Spill it," she demanded, crossing her arms. "What's wrong with Luffy?"

"Well, I think he may have gotten sick," Robin supplied. "And I have a feeling that we're his first and only friends that hadn't left after one little mishap."

"Luffy is sick? We need a doctor!" Chopper fretted, waving his arms around.

"That would be you, doctor-in-training," Robin reminded him. "And besides, medicine won't work on him."

"Oh. Right. But we can still help him get better," Chopper urged. "He just needs to stay in bed for a while."

"OH MY GOD! YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Everyone jumped at Sanji's enraged shouts, and Luffy came sprinting out of the kitchen, cackling madly. His hair was slightly different, almost an exact copy of Sanji's hair, and he wore a similar smirk. Sanji was chasing him, face twisted in anger, weilding a butcher's knife.

"Nami-swan! Robin-chan! Save me!" Luffy cried pitifully, hiding behind the women with another giggle.

"Robin-chan!" Sanji yelped as hands sprouted from the floor, keeping him in place. Luffy cackled again, mussing up his hair once more.

"Thanks, Robi-" He broke off in a fit of coughing, and he covered his mouth with his hand while Choper looked on worriedly. Luffy pulled his hand away when the coughing ceased, then frowned aty his hand befoe wiping it on his red shirt.

"Luffy, are you sick?" Chopper asked, scowling. Luffy shrugged.

"Maybe," he said aloofly. Chopper was immediately perched on his head, his hoof on his forehead. It was pulled away in surprise.

"You're burning up! Lay down!" he ordered, hopping off of Luffy and trying to drag the taller boy to the couch. The couch was frowned upon, and Luffy resisted the urge to just collapse on the floor and sleep right then and there.

"Don't wanna," he protested, digging his heels into the carpet. Chopper simply turned giant, and grabbed Luffy and practically threw him on the couch.

"YOU LAY DOWN RIGHT NOW, BUDDY!" Chopper roared. Luffy shrank into the couch, eyes wide.

"O-okay," he whimpered, grabbing a blanket from the floor and hiding under it. Chopper shrunk back to normal, sighing and pointedly ignoring the shocked stares he was getting. He took Luffy's hat and put it on the coffee table so it wouldn't get crushed.

"I've never seen you freak out like that," Franky muttered.

"It was truly a fearful sight!" Brook commented, poufing his hair more.

"Be quiet and let him sleep," Chopper snapped, somehow already having a cool rag and placing it on Luffy's head.

"Sorry," Franky and Brook murmured, and started whispering to each other, Usopp joining in when he had the chance.

"So... breakfast?"

"Ah, shit!" Sanji cursed, running to the kitchen. "It's going to burn!" Zoro watched him go, then his eye widened.

"Hey! I never even said you could use my food and my ingredients!" he whisper-shouted, stalking into the kitchen where a small brawl started.

"How long until he'll be okay?" Nami asked, running her hand over the rag on Luffy's eyes. He had fallen asleep within seconds of laying down, which proved just how tired he was.

"It's probably going to be a day or two," Chopper replied. "It's already pretty bad."

"What do we do until then?" Nami prompted. Chopper shrugged.

"Stay here, I guess. I mean, none of us have parents to go back to."

"I have a sister," Nami reminded him.

"But she's back at Cocoyashi Town," Chopper retorted.

"I guess we're staying," Usopp said, popping up from nowhere.

"Who's staying here?" Zoro asked, walking into the living room with a scowl. A footprint was visible on his scarred eye.

"Luffy won't recover for a few days, so we all are crashing here." Franky shrugged. "Could be worse. We could be stuck here for weeks." Zoro sighed, then reached up to scrub the mark off of his face.

"I guess I'm fine with it. Just don't go in my room," he said, then turned and went to the said room. Luffy coughed in his sleep, then reached out and weakly grabbed onto Chopper's antlers.

"D-don't go!" he gasped, and Chopper knew he was dreaming. He ushered everyone out, then watched Luffy toss and turn fretfully.

"I d-don't want to be.. alone again!" Luffy whimpered, then rolled off the couch with a thud. He bolted up, eyes wide and feverish, until he saw Chopper. He instantly relaxed, his eyes losing the insane sparkle.

"Thank god..." he murmured, reaching up and covering his eyes with the hat sitting on the coffee table.

"What did you mean by 'again'?" Chopper asked curiously, going to sit beside Luffy.

"Nothing important," Luffy answered, feeling around until he pat Chopper's furry head. "Just forget about it." Chopper frowned, but said nothing more as Luffy once again fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **...Over 100 reviews...?**_

 _ ***Sobs***_

 _ **I'm not crying, darn it!**_

 _ **Thank you so much to all you reviewers! You have no idea how much this means to me!**_

 _ **Please try to get to 200! Then I'll take an omake request from everyone that reviewed at any point!**_

 _ **Thank you again! You all are amazing llamas!**_


	20. Chapter 20

Later that day, Luffy woke up, his eyes bright. He sat up quickly, then stretched his arms above his head. He glanced to his feet, where Chopper was sitting, fast asleep. He grinned, then reached out and gently shook the reindeer.

"Hu- Whaaa?" Chopper sat up, rubbing his eyes. Luffy chuckled.

"I feel better," he said softly. Chopper blinked, tilting his head.

"Already?" He put his hoof on Luffy's forehead. It wasn't warm anymore. "Huh."

"I heal pretty fast." Luffy stood up, rubbing his head. Chopper slid off the couch.

"Well, if you're sure you feel fine..." he said uncertainly. Luffy nodded and grinned.

"Never better. Say, where is everyone?" He looked around, only just then realizing it was only him and Chopper in the room.

"They went to bed already." Chopper pointed to the window, which was dark. "It's about eleven right now." Luffy visibly deflated.

"I wasted the whole day sleeping?" he groaned. "Uuuuuuggghhhh..." He fell back onto the couch, then covered his face with a pillow. Chopper shrugged and yawned.

"I'm still tired," he murmured, climbing to lay on top of Luffy's pillow-covered head. Luffy let out a muffled protest, but didn't knock the reindeer off. Once Chopper was asleep, Luffy carefully lifted the pillow up, Chopper still asleep, and placed it carefully on the couch. He watched Chopper shift and snuffle for a second, then the reindeer was silent. Luffy sighed in relief, then turned to the door and started walking.

* * *

The next morning, Chopper woke up and rubbed his eyes.

"Morning already?" he yawned, then looked to where Luffy was supposed to be. The boy wasn't there. Chopper was instantly on high alert.

"Luffy?" he called quietly.

"You're awake." Chopper looked over the back of the couch to see everyone but Luffy calmly sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast that Sanji had made.

"Yeah... but where's Luffy?" Chopper asked. "He was supposed to be sleeping right here..."

"I haven't seen him all morning," Nami confessed. "Have any of you?" Everyone shook their heads.

"I wonder where he is..." Usopp thought aloud, drumming his fingers on the table.

"He could be right behind you." Usopp jumped and whipped around at the sound of Luffy's voice. The said boy was standing there, grinning widely.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Usopp gasped dramatically, putting a hand on his heart. Luffy tilted his head.

"I did?"

"Yes!"

"Huh. Well, is there any breakfast left? I'm starving." Luffy plopped down in between Robin and Franky. Chopper slid a plate towards him, only just then sitting down himself. Luffy grinned at the plate full of-you guessed it- bacon. He stuffed it in his mouth as fast as he could, then glanced at his friends like, 'What's taking you guys so long?'

"Hey, I have a question," he said, almost shyly.

"What is it?" Robin took a sip from her coffee.

"Why did you guys accept me so fast? I mean, you're already used to me being here..." he trailed off at their amused stares.

"Why? Because we were in pretty similar situations ourselves," Nami chuckled. "Mister green and grumpy over here was called a demon at his old school, and everyone hated Usopp because he was such a liar."

"Not true!" Usopp huffed indignantly.

"Nobody really liked you either, Nami," Chopper reminded her. Nami smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I guess."

"What did you do?" Luffy asked, sounding amazed.

"She was a petty thief," Zoro snorted, not appreciating the 'green and grumpy' comment. Nami shot him a glare.

"Not _just_ a thief! A brilliant thief!" she argued, kicking him under the table. Zoro chuckled lowly, waving his hand in a _nah_ gesture.

"People were actually paid to attack Robin," Usopp said sadly. "We had to bring her here with us, otherwise she could've been killed." Robin nodded,

"That is correct, Usopp-san. I had no family in the first place, so meeting them was a godsend." She sounded genuinely relieved.

"Everyone called me creepy and weird in my hometown," Chopper mumbled, pushing a pancake around on his plate.

"I never went to school, as I couldn't afford it," Brook murmured, absently fiddling with a cup. "Nami paid off my fee."

"It was a miracle she agreed to do it," Zoro snickered, earning another under-cover kick.

"I was homeschooled with an old geezer that forced me to cook for him," Sanji snorted. "Then I went with them and found my freedom." There was an underlying tone of sadness, and Luffy knew that he actually missed the old man. Luffy smiled at each and every one of them. None of them had parents, just like him. And they each were outsiders, like him.

"My parents and big brother died when I was little, and my other brother disappeared from my life with no trace at all. Then someone started a rumor that I killed my own parents, and it spread. So, I've been living by myself for..." He put a hand on his chin, thinking. His face eventually turned an unhealthy shade of red, then he gasped in defeat. "I don't even know how long! For a long time!" He looked around at their sympathetic faces, not even detecting a trace of pity among them. "But now I met you guys, and I'm not alone anymore!" He gave a bright grin, one that someone that lived through what he had shouldn't have been able to give. Everyone mirrored his smile, then turned to the table. Luffy casually licked his greasy fingers.

"GYAAH! YOU ATE EVERYTHING!" Nami shrieked.

"HOW? WHEN?" Usopp spluttered. Lufy just gave another smirk.

"It's a mystery!" he chuckled.

* * *

Somewhere on the other side of town, a tall, tattooed man walked down the street, phone against his ear.

"You're sure? It was confirmed?" he barked into the phone.

 _"We've triple checked the evidence. It was definitely him,"_ the other voice crackled over the speaker. The tattooed man sighed, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I'll send him in as soon as possible," he said reluctantly.

 _"Confirmed. We will be waiting,"_ the other voice said, then the line went dead. The tattoed man turned off the device and stuffed it into the pocket of his hoodie.

"Looks like we'll be meeting again sooner than originally thought, Luffy-ya."

* * *

 _ ***Doesn't even know where the last part came from***_

 _ **So, that's how the crew came to be without Luffy! And, guess what? Luffy finally told them the truth! *Kind of!***_

 _ **I'm so proud of my baby...**_

 _ ***Clings to Luffy and sobs***_

 _ **Luffy: ...O-kay... *Pries my hands away and scoots away***_

 _ **Please review, so that I can maybe update soon!**_


	21. Chapter 21

Luffy glanced to his friends as he backed away, making sure they could see him even after he got to the other side of the parking lot. He turned around, his back to them, and knocked once, then three times, then once more on a metal door. It was instantly opened, and Luffy waved to his friends to tell them to stay back.

"Permission to enter?" he asked politely.

"Permission granted," a gruff voice said, widening the door.

"Permission for my friends?" Luffy sidled inside, right in between the door and the opening, so the door wouldn't be able to close.

"Permission granted," the voice grunted again, and opened the door even further. Luffy waved his friends over, and together, the ten of them entered the room. *Ten because of Vivi. She joined them earlier.* Looking around, they found themselves in a spacious room, with brick walls and bright lighting. It was slightly crowded with men, each of them obviously older than Luffy by at least two years. They were all laughing loudly or telling some story, and Zoro's first thought was that they were drunk, but the air smelled clean, except for the B.O.

"Look! It's bounce man!" The ten turned to see a tall, eighteen-year-old guy staring at them, his hair poufed up like a pineapple. Another man, the one that had called them, grinned widely.

"Pineapple! Thatch!" Luffy waked over to them, his smile matching the grinning one of the two men. Luffy's new friends huddled behind him, already dubbing the blond as Pineapple brain. Luffy seemed to notice their discomfort, and he bent backwards so he could whisper to them.

"They aren't really my friends. They were my big brothers' friends when he was a kid, so I'm just the replacement. Pops made them be nice to me. If Ace wasn't my brother, they would've kicked me out so fast I'd have wind burn." He smiled again, though it was a little forced. "Though I do think Thatch and Pineapple are actually starting to like me."

"Who are they, yoi?" Pineapple asked suddenly, gesturing to Luffy's new friends.

"They're my friends. No touching," Luffy growled, suddenly protective. He glanced behind him, over his friends' shoulders, and stared right at someone who had been edging closer and closer to Nami. The man slipped away quickly.

"Relax. We won't touch a hair on their head," Thatch promised, holding up a hand as if he was swearing an oath. Luffy barely relaxed, and he grabbed the closest arm and started pulling them along.

"This way," he grunted, pushing past a few guys arm wrestling on the floor. He made it to another metal door, which he just pushed open without stopping. The rest followed behind, struggling to keep up in the crowd. Vivi was still being dragged by Luffy, so that left eight of them straggling behind. Well... actually just one. Everyone but Usopp easily kept up with the rubber boy.

"I wish he would remember we haven't been here before," Usopp puffed.

"I remembered." Luffy suddenly wrapped his arm around Usopp's waist, then reached up, grabbed a rafter, and pulled himself up, swinging like Tarzan with Usopp screaming in his arm. He frowned, then swung over to the door and landed on his feet. Usopp wasn't so lucky. He hit the ground, face-first.

"And now we're all here." Luffy pushed through the door, dragging Usopp behind by his long and broken nose.

"Nyou are snoh dead *You are so dead*," Usopp mumbled.

"Luffy, what exactly is this place?" Nami asked skeptically once they were all in. It wasn't much different from the other room, though this one was empty, dusty, and cobwebby.

"It's an old Wal-Mart store. Pops bought this place after the new one was built, and he turned it into a hangout for all these guys. His adopted sons," Luffy explained. "Ace was a friend of theirs, and he treated Pops like a grandpa."

"Who is Pops?" Vivi questioned. Lufy grinned.

"In most places, he's known as Whitebeard."

"Whitebeard!" Nami, Chopper, Vivi, and Usopp gasped. Whitebeard was a very famous, wealthy man in this town. He was also known for having adopted more than fifty orphaned boys, and he apparently had only one daughter. Some of his sons were well-known, such as Marco the Phoenix, recognized for his special Devil Fruit power that allowed him to transform into a phoenix. Or, as Luffy called it, 'a giant flaming turkey of death'.

"Pops is huge!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide. "I can sit on the palm of his hand!"

"Whoah..." Chopper stared, stars in his eyes. "He's a giant!"

"Most likely!" Luffy laughed. "Hey, do you guys want to meet him?"

"Sure," Nami answered quickly. She glanced at everyone's uneasy expressions. Obviously they were suspicious of this Whitebeard guy, but since Luffy seemed to like him, they decided he couldn't be all bad. Luffy bounced ahead, true to the nickname Thatch had given him.

"He's this way! Only a few people know where he lives!" Luffy chirped. "Oh, but don't think he lives here. He just has a house close by."

"I wasn't even going to ask," Usopp sighed, running after Luffy while attemting to straighten his crooked nose.

* * *

"Yo! Pops!" Luffy banged loudly on the giant, ten-foot-tall door. "Open up!"

"Calm yourself, brat!" came a deep, strong voice form inside. Just the voice had Usopp shaking in fear.

"I won't wait all day!" Luffy called haughtily. Rumbling laughter was heard, then the sound of the door being unlocked. Everyone instantly stood at attention, all except Luffy, who swung the door open and strode forward, only to be grabbed by a giant hand and shoved back outside with a yelp.

"I didn't say you could come in yet!" the man inside said, voice laced with amusement. "You have to ask first."

"Can I come in?" Luffy drawled, crossing his arms. "And my friends?"

"Go ahead." Luffy trotted inside once again, this time without being shoved back out. He glanced at his motionless friends.

"You heard the old man. Come on in!"

* * *

Somewhere nearby, a tattooed man was listening in, silently filing away the information for later study.

"I found the target. But tell me again why we are arresting him?" he snapped into the phone in his hand.

 _"We found something of his at the scene. We are arresting the criminal, not only for this. We are also completing what should have been done years ago,"_ the other man droned.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," the tattooed man said flatly, ending the call. He glanced to the window, watching as the group awed at whatever they were seeing.

"Don't know how you manage to get yourself into so much trouble, Luffy-ya," Law sighed, settling down to wait.

* * *

 _ **I can't believe it! More than twenty chapters already? Whew!**_

 _ **I wanted to add Whitebeard into this so bad! He was such an awesome guy! And can you imagine the crew's surprise when they find out who 'Pineapple' really is? *Pfft***_


	22. Chapter 22

Usopp's jaw literally hit the floor. Zoro just blinked. Sanji's cigarette fell out of his lips. Nami's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Brook just froze. Franky lifted up his sunglasses to stare at the giant. Robin... just smiled in that creepy way of hers. Luffy laughed at their reactions.

"Guys, meet Pops! Pops, meet Zoro, Chopper, Robin, Brook, Franky, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami!" Luffy gestured at the giant of a man that was sitting on a giant, throne-like chair. He was so tall, that even sitting down he was three times their height.

"Hello, Whitebeard-san," Robin greeted, being the only one able to speak.

"Luffy! You brought some more brats to bother me?" Whitebeard boomed good-naturedly, smiling under his mustache. Luffy shrugged.

"Sure," he whispered under his breath, "everyone's a bothering brat to you, old man."

"WHO are you calling old?" Whitebeard gave Luffy a challenging stare, and Luffy met his gaze evenly.

"Nobody, Pops, sir!" he mocked, saluting sharply. Whitebeard grunted in annoyance.

"YOU'RE HUUUUGE!" Nami, Chopper, and Usopp finally screeched.

"Hey, that's rude! He isn't fat!" Luffy crossed his arms and glared at the three, bottom lip poking out slightly.

"Gurarara! That's alright, straw hat brat!" Whitebeard laughed deeply. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves?"

"My name is Nico Robin," Robin said politely, inclining her head in a show of respect.

"Zoro." Zoro, too, slightly dipped his head.

"Sanji." Sanji merely stomped on the burning embers of his cigarette until Nami reached over and forced him to bow his head.

"My name is Nami," she said, giving a small curtsy. Usopp, finally recovering his breath, stepped forward.

"I am the great captain Usopp!" he bragged, making Whitebeard raise an eyebrow.

"Chopper," Chopper breathed, still wide-eyed.

"Name's Cutty Flam, but everyone calls me Franky." The cyborg put his glasses back on his nose.

"My name is Brook. Nice to meet you, Whitebeard-san," Brook greeted, taking his hat off in a flamboyant bow.

"At least these brats have some manners!" Whitebeard commented loudly. "As you know, I'm usually known as Whutebeard. The real name's Edward Newate," he introduced, "and this is my dog, Stefan." A big white dog, about as big as Zoro, walked out from behind the chair, fur bristling. Luffy started forward, making Nami worry.

"Luffy! That dog looks like it could kill you!" she warned, but Luffy ignored her and walked right up to the dog. The white beast was immediately calm, licking Luffy's hand and begging for attention. Luffy chuckled, patting the top of Stefan's head.

"Steffy, these are my friends. Don't eat them," he said sternly. Stefan barked in agreement, though it still eyed the group as if they were meat for his enjoyment.

"Alright! Why have you come to see me, brat?" Whitebeard didn't yell, though he might as well have by how loud he was.

"They wanted to meet you," Luffy replied simply, sitting down beside Stefan and absently petting his head. Stefan responded by licking his face.

"We're sorry for bothering you. We'll leave if you'd like," Nami said quickly, backing away.

"Gurararara! No need! It's good that this brat-" he reached down and poked the back of Luffy's head with one giant finger,"-managed to make some friends. This is the first time he's visited without one of my sons with him."

"I'm going to the bathroom," Luffy claimed loudly, standing up. Stefan whined, but let the rubber boy leave.

"Actually, I'm curious. You do know the rumors, right?" Whitebeard asked lowly, leaning forward. The group of friends nodded.

"We heard, but we really don't care," Zoro said with a shrug. "They're rumors. Can't be proven true or false."

"I see. You guys will definitely help himout," Whitebeard muttered, leaning back once more. "Just don't even dare leave him alone again, or his brother's ghost won't be the only person coming for you." That caused a few fearful shudders, though Zoro and Robin calmly gazed at him.

"We would rather die than betray a friend," the two said solemnly, and Robin moved to stand beside Zoro. Their arms brushed against each other, but neither noticed. Whitebeard stared at them for a long time, then nodded.

"I believe you. But that doesn't mean I trust you. Yet." The two nodded, while the rest regained their composture and stood beside them. They unanimously sat in a semi-circle, and Whitebeard chuckled. "Glad we have that taken care of. So... what are your names again? I'm quite old, you see... My hearing isn't as good as it used to be." With a few sighs, the friends repeated their name, and Whitebeard repeated each name until he got it right.

* * *

"Say, shouldn't Luffy be back by now?" Usopp commented after a while.

"Hey, you're right," Chopper agreed, looking around. "He's been gone for wuite a while now..."

"Zoro, go check the bathroom, Nami ordered, pointing down the hall.

"I'm sure he's fine," Zoro grumbled, but stood anyways.

"Down the hall to your left," Whitebeard directed. Zoro grunted. Even a two-year-old could follow those directions. But even so, he found himself turning right instead of left, and having to backtrack and open every door he passed until he found the bathroom. It was empty, with no sign anyone had used it recently. Frowning, he closed the door and floundered his way back to the living room.

"Took you long enough!" Nami sniffed. "Where's Luffy?"

"I... don't know," Zoro said, furrowing his brows.

"What do you mean, 'You don't know'?" Nami asked skeptically.

"He wasn't in the bathroom when I checked," Zoro replied, putting a hand on his chin. "In fact, it wasn't even used recently." This time, it was Nami's turn to be confused.

"What? But Luffy-"

"I know where the brat went," Whotebeard said quietly, looking down at his hands. Everyone's eyes were on him as he took a breath.

"The police finally did it. They finally took him away."

There was silence.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

 _ **Dun dun DUUUUUNNN! Luffy has been taken by the po-po! O-O**_

 _ **And, you know, Law was hanging around... Coincidence? I think not~!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_***Weakly waves at everyone***_

 _ **Hi, guys... *Coughs***_

 _ **Sorry for not updating for so long... I have a weak immune system, so I tend to get sick a lot... I haven't been able to get on my computer and type, because I was sent to the hospital because I had chronic bronchitis... I've been feeling awful for weeks. Anyways, I finally got my computer back, so I decided to at least try to make a chapter for all of you amazing reviewers...**_

 _ **Sorry for any mistakes, shortness, and how fast it goes. I'm just not at 100% right now...**_

 _ **And by the way, someone mentioned I misspelled Whitebeard's name a few times in the last chapter. Whitebeard-sama, I deeply apologize. I never meant to disrespect you by not getting your name right. And everyone who bothers to read my A.N.s, I also apologize. Please take this faliure as an apology gift.**_

* * *

Whitebeard calmly sat through the chaos, with Usopp screaming Luffy's name and Chopper crying into Zoro's hair. Zoro didn't seem to notice, as he was distractedly bending a random fork in his hand. Sanji and Robin remained calm, though Franky just leaned coolly against the wall and watched. Nami didn't really move, though she put a hand on her chin as if concentrating.

"Why would they arrest Luffy?" she asked, mostly to herself.

"Because the State Government thinks he's dangerous," Whitebeard automatically replied. "They're stupid enough to believe the rumors, and they're heartless enough to not listen to his side of the story. In fact, they don't even believe that Devil Fruits exist. They're living in their own perfect little world." Brook, who was practically silent until now, solemnly nodded his head.

"I can understand that. Up until eighteen years ago, the Government thought I was just a teenager playing a really long prank. But when I told them who I was, they finally decided that I was just a freak of nature and released me to the community. Though skeletons are accepted, they aren't accepted easily."

"They still haven't acknowledged my existence," Chopper stated sadly.

"They ordered me to keep my powers a secret," Robin said, crossing her arms and sprouting a few arms from her shoulders. Whitebeard looked mildly surprised, and there was something else they couldn't quite identify.

"He's lucky you brats noticed him. Otherwise he'd still be moping about like a damp mushroom."

"Like a what now?"

"He's been pretty depressed and sulky, but with you around, he might learn to finally trust people again." Whitebeard eyed them warmly. "Now go on, save your friend." Nami smiled and gave a mock salute.

"Aye aye, captain Whitebeard!"

* * *

Luffy spluttered under the gloved grip, trying to remove the hand from his mouth.

"You're under arrest, Monkey D. Luffy, for the murder of Monkey D. Dragon, Portgas D. Ace, and Monkey D. Lilica. You are also charged for the disappearance of Outlook D. Sabo, and the murder of a boy named Bartolomeo*. You have the right to remain silent." Luffy cursed inside his head, tuning out the boring 'rights'. He struggled a second longer, then gave up. This guy was too strong, and he couldn't very well bite his way through a lether glove. The man holding him had grabbed him the second he stepped foot outside. All Luffy wanted to do was get away from the stifling, awkward atmosphere for just a second.

"...Now come this way," the policeman ordered, dragging Luffy along with him. Luffy rolled his eyes.

 _Not like I have a choice, now, do I?_

Luffy allowed himself to be dragged into a squad car, then fell into a grumpy silence. The policeman had put thin handcuffs on him, and the edges were harshly digging into his skin. He sulked in the back seat while the policeman stepped into the driver's seat. The man finally turned, revealing his face to Luffy. An all-too-familiar self-confident smirk was plastered on his lips.

"Traffyguy?" Luffy squeaked, eyes wide.

"Nice to see you remember me, Luffy-ya," Law said coldly starting up the car and turning to the road. Luffy gaped, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets and mouth slightly open.

"But... I thought we were... friends..." Luffy murmured, suddenly sinking back in his seat. Law flinched slightly.

"We never were friends, idiot," he barked harshly, though he gripped the steering wheel even tighter. He couldn't lose his job now, not after he had done so much just to get into it. If there was a choice of friends or money, he used to instantly choose the money without a thought. But now, the line was starting to blur, and he was starting to doubt his choice.

 _Dammit, Trafalgar! Concentrate!_ he growled to himself.

"Never friends..." Luffy muttered, eyes glazing over. Law glanced back for a split second, startled to see the boy that was so bouncy and energetic these past few days suddenly revert back to his old self.

"Never," Law said.

* * *

 _ ***YES I KILLED OFF POOR LITTLE BARTOLOMEO. YOU CAN KILL ME NOW.**_

 _ **Oye... Someone help me... I can't seem to type anymore... Writer's block is apparently an after-effect of chronic bronchitis...**_

 _ **Luffy: YOU LEFT ME HANGING FOR WEEKS! HOW COULD YOU?!**_

 _ **Me: *Shrugs* I was sick and dying. Not my fault you decided to get caught.**_

 _ **Luffy: *Pouts in the emo corner***_

 _ **Me: *Sits beside him and grows mushrooms on my head***_

 _ **Robin: Review, please, for lovely Captain Luffy-sama. She needs a little encouragement, as she can't seem to write anymore. Leave a flame, too, if you desire. See you next time on Smile!**_

 ** _Me: *Shocked* I didn't know you were so excited about my story, Robin!  
_**

 ** _Robin: *Just smiles mysteriously*_**


	24. APOLOGY AND ANNOUNCEMENT

_**Hello all. I know it's been a while, huh? Before you rage at me, throw things, or plot my ultimately painful demise, let me explain.**_

 _ **I've had cancer for a while now, and my family's tight on money. So we had to sell my computer to try and get my cancer treated. I haven't had a chance to touch an electronic device (minus painful medical equipment) in months, let alone been able to log into Fanfiction and type for my stories.**_

 _ **Ultimately? Treatment worked. I'm now scot-free, with just a few scars and no hair. I've been thinking about working on these stories again, but I'm not too sure about that. My writing has definitely improved after all these months of inactivity, so if anybody wants me to restart my stories, drop a review and tell me. Maybe one day I'll suddenly get the inspiration to continue writing these awful things, maybe even go back and fix them up a bit.**_

 _ **All of these were started on the whim of a stupid, oblivious fourteen-year-old girl that wrote thinking she was better than everyone else in the world. Now, I know better. I'm not the best, and I'm not the worst, but I can sure as Hell try.**_

 _ **I hope that all of you will forgive me for my extended absence. I know there was no warning and I just dropped off of the face of the earth, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'll try to be as active on here as before, but I can't make any promises. Especially now that I'm not so sure if I'm in the One Piece fandom as deeply as I was before.**_

 _ **Farewell for now, and I hope that I will see all of you again someday.**_


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